The South African Football Association (Safa) and Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis are at loggerheads over the Janine van Wyk debacle that ensued in the Olympic Games qualifier against DR Congo in Kinshasa on Wednesday.
Van Wyk, a former Banyana captain, announced her retirement earlier this year but she was called up to the Banyana team to break Africa’s all-time record for the most capped player, both males and females.
The record holder is Egyptian Ahmed Hassa with 184 caps – Van Wyk is currently on 183 caps.
After Safa insisted on Van Wyk to be given the caps, bizarrely, she was not played, even after she did her warm-up on the side of the pitch. Distraught and very upset, she left the camp and will not be part of the second leg to be played on Monday. Ellis is likely to face the music for the bungling.
“I can’t describe the pain I’m feeling deep inside of me. One last moment I’m meant to embrace has turned to be a moment of distraught,” she tweeted.
An insider revealed that this has left the Safa bosses fuming and seeking explanations as to what transpired and why did Van Wyk travel with the team to Congo at all. “The bosses are not happy and they want answers. Players like Robyn Moodley are suffering from a mental illness and there seems to be a problem in Banyana since after World Cup. The players are just unhappy, and the bosses are worried about the discord in the camp,” said an informer who opted to remain anonymous.
Ellis explained: “Yes, she has left the camp, and she will not be part of the return match in Orlando tomorrow. We wanted to make a substitution but time was already up, and the game was finished. I did talk to her afterwards but we did not have a proper sit down because the focus right now is the return match – because we must qualify for the Olympic Games. We will afford her more opportunities in the future because she has worked hard for this team.”
Safa CEO Lydia Monyepao, a former Banyana star, said she could not shed more light on the events in DR Congo as she was not there.
“I do not know much about what transpired in that match. But we need to work more with the coach and the technical team to get Janine to break the record. As the association we support Janine’s quest to get the record. We must make sure she gets other opportunities.”
