Janine van Wyk’s mom always knew her record-breaking daughter was special

They say a mother’s intuition is always right and this was exactly the case with Gwen van Wyk. 

From an early age, Gwen never doubted that her record-breaking daughter and Banyana Banyana defender, Janine, would go on to become a successful footballer for her clubs and country. 

On Monday, at a sweltering Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville, Janine van Wyk earned her 185th cap to become the footballer with most caps, male or female, on the African continent. It was a huge achievement that cannot, should not, be downplayed in any manner from the right-back or centreback who enjoyed a glittering career in a period where the women’s national team grew in stature on the continent and globally.

Van Wyk achieved the feat, which is going to take some doing to overtake, in front of adoring South African fans as Banyana beat Burkina Faso 2-0 in the second leg of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) qualifier. The result in Tshwane saw South Africa, who became the first senior national team from the country to go past a World Cup group stage in Australasia this year, return to the Wafcon so they can defend their 2022 title in Morocco next year, where they lifted the last trophy. 

Van Wyk was given a run by coach Desiree Ellis for eight minutes to finally break the record of legendary Egyptian men’s midfielder, Ahmed Hassan, that stood for 11 years. 

Gwen van Wyk could not hide her excitement as her daughter inked her name in the history books of African football in what marked her last competitive match as she turns her attention to coaching at JVW football club. 

Janine’s record is seen by many as not only her personal milestone but a significant step for women’s football on the continent and as celebrations continued, her mother remembered the difficult early days. Things were different and difficult for women’s football when Janine embarked on her journey about 30 years ago, but her mother said she doesn’t regret sticking by her. 

“I actually believed she would get to this point in her career,” Gwen said. 

“At the age of six, she played for a boys’ club and she was the only girl there. There were challenges with parents of the boys saying she must go and play with other girls and she didn’t belong there with the boys. 

“But she was adamant she wanted to play with boys and she played there in the league up to the age of 14. She was also the first girl to achieve Eastern Transvaal colours in the boys’ section as a defender.” 

Gwen said Janine’s record was reward for her dedication and tireless work over the past three decades. 

“I am just happy God gave me the opportunity to be with her when she played for her 185th cap. It is emotional and at the same time I am happy for her because she has worked hard for the past 30 years to get to this milestone. 

“My nephew and brother played football in the 1970s and they always took her to the field to play — that’s where she got interested in soccer. Soccer is in the family, there were about seven to eight soccer players in our family but Janine is the only one who went far. 

“I thank God she only had one bad injury during her career, which was an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). It has been a journey with its fair share of ups and downs.   Sometimes the challenges were mental but she overcame all of that — she doesn’t let anything get her down and she is a humble person.” 

Janine was at pains not to make a historic occasion about herself, choosing instead to offer advice to younger players. 

“You have to work for everything that you want, I always said to the youngsters that nothing comes easily. Being successful is a tough job; it’s probably the toughest out there because you get challenged mentally and physically every day. 

“You have to put in the hard yards all the time. Sometimes you don’t want to get out of bed but you have to continue to grind, even when you are alone and no-one is watching. 

“You must have self-discipline but success won’t happen without failure. A lot of people think that success is about winning, but you have to go through lows in your life to reach high stages as a team and individually. That is what kept me going most of the time, also my passion for the beauty of this game.” 

Ellis congratulated Van Wyk on a long and successful career. 

“She has given her all, always wore her heart on her sleeve and it couldn’t have happened to a more deserving person,” the coach said to the defender sitting next to her. “Good luck and welcome to the space of coaching — it is not easy but I wish you all the best and hopefully your coaching career can be just as successful as your playing career.” 

Janine has turned her back on playing and next on her menu is to coach, and once again Gwen is firmly in her corner to make a success, shouting instructions from the dugout. “She’s got a Uefa B licence and we will just see what lies ahead for her,” the proud mom concluded.