Banyana blessed to be part of US star and activist Rapinoe's farewell: Ellis

Banyana Banyana feel blessed to be part of the send-off of women’s football activist and one of sport's all-time greats Megan Rapinoe. 

US star Rapinoe, 38, who has played a role in changes to women's football on and off the pitch, announced before last month’s Women’s Fifa World Cup in Australia and New Zealand she will call time on her career at the end of the National Women’s Soccer League in November.   

She will feature for her national team for the last time when they come up against Desiree Ellis' Banyana Banyana in two international friendly matches later this month.   

The two nations, who were knocked out of the round of 16 at the World Cup — a sign of progress for the South Africans and a disappointment for the four-time world champion Americans — meet in Cincinnati on September 22 and Chicago on September 24.   

Rapinoe was at the centre of the US women's team's fight for equal pay with Alex Morgan, Hope Solo, Carli Lloyd and Becky Sauerbrunn when they took legal action against the US Soccer Federation 2016.   

The players succeeded and an equal pay agreement was reached in 2022 with back-pay for the women players.   

Their action — with twice World Cup-winner Rapinoe largely the public face of the battle — motivated women's footballers in other parts of the world, including South Africa, to fight for equal treatment to their male counterparts.   

“I think it’s huge,” Ellis said of Banyana being part of Rapinoe's send-off.   

“She is most probably [huge], not just as a player, but an activist for women’s football — she has been huge throughout the world and has done magnificently for the US.   

“For us to be part of that is incredible.   

“A lot of previous and current players have looked up to her, not just as a player, but as an activist. She has been huge for women’s football and we are blessed to be part of her send-off.”   

The Banyana coach emphasised the need to use the fixtures against the US to back up their World Cup performance, where they became the first senior South African team to progress past the group stages.   

She said the games in the US present an opportunity for many of her local-based players to sell themselves to some of the top clubs in world football.    

“It’s an opportunity to put yourself in the window, for clubs out there, if they were not sure, this is another opportunity to make them say, ‘I want that player’.

“And playing against the US there’s no motivation needed. They are still one of the best teams in the world.”

Banyana will be without skipper Refiloe Jane and defender Bambanani Mbane who are still nursing injuries from the World Cup in Australasia in July and August.