Banyana Banyana veteran defender Janine van Wyk has reacted to reaching mammoth 184 international caps and is now one step closer to breaking the record of being the most capped player on the continent for both men’s and women’s football.
Van Wyk was handed a start by coach Desiree Ellis in the middle of the park before she was substituted in the 39th minute for Kholosa Biyana during Banyana’s Women’s Africa Cup of Nations first-leg encounter.
The match, played at the Charles Konan Banny Stadium in Ivory Coast on Thursday, ended in a 1-1 draw.
Speaking after the match, Van Wyk said she was delighted to have been finally handed an opportunity to get closer to realising her dream of being the record holder of the most capped player in Africa.
Long-standing record
“I am very happy that the coaching staff gave me this opportunity to step onto the field,” Van Wyk said.
“I am also very grateful for my teammates for their endless support. It’s 184 international caps and one more cap to go for me to break that record.
“It’s just unfortunate that we did not get the result that we had initially came here for, but we scored a goal and still have one more leg to go.
“I hope fans will come out in their numbers to give us support and morale booster [in the second leg in South Africa] because it will be a must-win game for us.”
Van Wyk made a U-turn from her retirement early this year after she was recalled by the SA Football Association to surpass the long-standing record set by former Egyptian midfielder Ahmed Hassan.
The 36-year-old is now one game shy from breaking the record and will be hoping to get an opportunity to play in the second leg to reach her milestone.
South Africa will host Burkina Faso in the return leg at the Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville, Pretoria on Monday.
