It’s been so easy in recent years to call someone, anyone in fact, a legend. It’s so overused that I sometimes feel embarrassed, even blushing, when I look at some of the people who have been given this status.
I was so taken aback in recent weeks, while working in Durban when a young colleague shook my hand and called me a legend! I wondered why and what I had done, but I quickly remembered that any Tom, Dick and Harry qualifies as a legend these days. So, I composed and consoled myself in the knowledge that the accolade has somewhat lost its true value and meaning in South Africa.
According to many dictionaries, a legend is “an extremely famous or notorious person”, especially in a particular field. Such people are admired by a lot of people.
Of course, there are many individuals that I don’t mind hearing called legends. It’s because of the work they do or have done on this planet, touching as many lives as possible while they do so. I’m nowhere near that.
One of those that I think fully qualifies to be called a legend is the former Banyana Banyana skipper Janine van Wyk, who retired from the international arena this week after amassing 185 caps — the most caps, male or female, in Africa.
This is a huge achievement for Van Wyk who served Banyana so well since making her debut against Mozambique in 2005. In close to two decades playing for the national side, Wyk achieved a lot, including helping Banyana qualify for the 2016 Olympics and leading Desiree Ellis’s team in the 2019 Fifa Women’s World Cup.
Van Wyk’s story is hopefully one that will inspire many Banyana players, especially that of having a clear plan on what to do after their playing days are over.
That Banyana never went beyond the first round in these two major events was not really Van Wyk’s fault. Her biggest achievement was of course being part of the SA team that finally won the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) in Morocco in 2022, a trophy Banyana came short of winning in 1999, 2000, 2008, 2012 and 2018.
It was mostly because of injuries that Van Wyk didn’t make the Banyana side that played in this year’s World Cup in New Zealand and Australia, where Ellis’s team qualified for the second round for the first time.
The only sad part is that Van Wyk’s last two caps came after some drama after her decision to abruptly leave the Banyana camp last month when she did not play in the first of the two 2024 Olympic qualifiers against DR Congo. Clearly the message of making sure that Van Wyk got her critical numbers didn’t filter down in a correct way to coach Ellis.
After that was fixed, Van Wyk achieved her feat in Banyana’s 2024 Wafcon qualifiers against Burkina Faso this week.
At club level, Van Wyk’s achievements were equally phenomenal, with spells in the US and Scotland and finding the time to form her own club, JVW, which now campaigns in Safa’s national women’s league.
While winding down her playing career, Van Wyk started planning for her future, which includes the aspiration to coach Banyana one day. Of course, that is likely to happen at some point for the 36-year-old as she’s already armed herself with some coaching certificates and plans to do more, now that she’ll have more time after retiring from international football.
Van Wyk’s story is hopefully one that will inspire many Banyana players, especially that of having a clear plan on what to do after their playing days are over. It’s a challenge that not only women footballers battle with, we’ve seen a lot of men suffering and having nothing to do after their glittering careers have ended.
One just hopes that Safa gives platforms for people like Van Wyk to impart their knowledge. Van Wyk has already told me that she wishes to start coaching at junior national level before graduating to Banyana.
Perhaps giving Van Wyk a national Under 17 side to coach would be a great start as she could grow with those players until they reach the stage where they play for the senior national side.
Safa is planning to bid to host the women’s World Cup in 2031, after their 2027 bid failed. That plan, coupled with Van Wyk building a stronger Banyana team for 2031, could be a good one. But it’s all about proper planning, which unfortunately is something that’s been missing among those leading our football.
Van Wyk has been a shining light in our football but it’s now up to Safa to make sure that her legendary status is not dimmed.
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