BIG DREAMS
Janine van Wyk aims to coach Banyana after retirement
Banyana Banyana captain Janine van Wyk is planning a long future in the sport after her playing days are over, with many ventures featuring on her to-do list. But, considering what she has already achieved, this is no surprise.
When an opportunity arose to further her career at Scottish giants Glasgow Celtic in July, Van Wyk thought about what she could add to this move, which she admitted, at 33, came as “a wonderful surprise”.
“What better place to do my Uefa coaching badge than in Scotland,” Van Wyk said about being offered a one-year contract with the 13-time champions of Scotland.
“Once I’ve settled in here and get everything going, hopefully I can do my Uefa badges.”
The Alberton-born Banyana player owns a football club, JVW FC, which got promotion to Safa’s national women’s league earlier in 2020.
Having starred for Houston Dash in the US between 20172018, the Glasgow move came at a time when she was keen to build JVW into a fortress after her move to Danish club Fortuna Hjorring failed to take off due to an injury she suffered during the 2019 Women’s Fifa World Cup in France.
Doing her badges in Scotland is part of Van Wyk’s long-term plan to plough back her immense experience.
“I will definitely coach after football and, hopefully, I can coach the national team, Banyana, one day.
“That’s my long-term plan after football,” Van Wyk said.
Banyana, though one of the top three teams in Africa with Nigeria and Ghana, are still battling to impress on the international stage, with first-round exits in France and the Olympics in London 2012 and in Rio 2016.
Van Wyk is not about to call time on an international career that has earned her 170 caps and 11 goals since debuting against Nigeria in 2005.
“I think it depends on my body and what it feels and how well I look after it,” she said.
“If you look at the US national team, you have Carli Hollins there and she was 37 when she played in the World Cup last year.
“So I think it just depends on how well my body is looked after and how much I can still continue playing without injuries.
“If that happens, yes, I will give it a go in the next World Cup in 2023 [to be hosted by New Zealand and Australia].”
The Banyana skipper still dreams of conquering Africa and the recent flood of Banyana players in teams abroad — 25 in all — encourages her.
“I think we can perform better as a national team,” she said.
Banyana have played second fiddle to Nigeria on the continent, with a runners-up finishes in 1995, 2002, 2008, 2012 and 2018 in Africa Cup of Nations tournaments.
“Hopefully, in the next Afcon, we can have that gold medal around our necks; that’s one of my dreams still to be accomplished.
“I really believe we have fantastic players to lift the trophy in Africa.