I kept a tight leash on her

“You’ll always encounter some form of gamesmanship here and there.”

“Mind you, we have nothing but respect for Bafana, but…”

Noko Matlou has be e n a loyal se rvant of the game , starting out as a strike r and e ve ntually conve rte d into a de fe nde r. In the re ce ntly comple te d Wome n’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, she was among the standout pe rforme rs and playe d in all six matche s for Banyana Banyana. In this inte rvie w with Socce r Laduma’s Thomas Kwe naite , she re ve als he r gratitude to Pre side nt Cyril Ramaphosa about the possible promulgation of a bill advocating for e qual pay for both me n and wome n doing national duty in football. She also disclose s how she manage d to shut down Nige ria and Barce lona forward Asisat Oshoala in the e pic ope ning match and

share s he r fe e lings on the ge ne ral re action of Banyana playe rs whe n the re fe re e adde d almost 10 minute s of optional time in the final!

Thomas Kwenaite: Mzansi just can’t stop talking about Banyana Banyana’s history-making exploits at the recent Wafcon. How was your reaction when you all landed at the OR Tambo International Airport?

Noko Matlou: It was the most heartwarming feeling I’ve ever experienced. To see those multitudes singing, dancing and waving the national flag was enough to drive one to tears. The people have spoken and we became aware of the love they shared with us. We were extremely excited and the support was simply awesome and overwhelming.

TK: How much did the friendly game against the Netherlands prepare you ladies for the tournament?

NM: Playing the Netherlands was crucial in our preparations. They are currently ranked by FIFA as the fourth-best team in the world, so to play such a highly-rated team naturally exposed our shortcomings, particularly the simple manner in which they penetrated our midfield and opened up our defence. This gave us enough homework to rectify our deficiencies and if you look at our record, we conceded only three goals and scored eight. It was a huge improvement and I think we were very difficult to break down throughout the tournament.

TK: After the airport reception, you were then hosted by the Limpopo provincial government in Polokwane.

NM: After the function at the Union Buildings, myself, Nomvula Kgoale, Hilda Magaia, Lebogang Ramalepe and Amogelang Motau (who all hail from the province) received notification that the office of the MEC for Sports, Arts and Culture Thandi Moraka were arranging a function in our honour. We landed at the Polokwane Airport and were simply overwhelmed by the reception as people had lined up the streets in the city. I couldn’t figure out how quickly they had mobilized such an event, it was amazing.

TK: What was the game plan in the opening match against Nigeria?

NM: The first game in any tournament will always be tough, difficult but very important. It kind of sets the tone for the rest of the tournament. We strongly believed that it would give us an indication of where we were and how we were going to progress with the challenges that lay ahead. It was just as everybody had expected – tough. But we had done our homework and we knew how they would play and clearly understood where the danger would come from. We prepared adequately and if you noticed, if we scored first, we made it very difficult for the opponents to come back.

TK: The Super Falcons have always had an Indian sign over Banyana’s heads. How come these days you dispose of them like swatting away a fly?

NM: In the past, they used to send their players abroad, where they played for various clubs in Europe. However, these days our own players are now also based in Europe and the experience they have gained has somehow levelled the playing fields. Now, when we face them, the gap in experience is no longer that wide and we no longer feel inferior but compete with them on an equal footing.

TK: How much did the injury to Thembi Kgatlana affect the team?

NM: The loss of Thembi was a huge blow to the whole team because everyone knows how hard she works for the team. When she is on the field, she is able to instill fear in the opposition because of her skill and pace. She is capable of hurting the opposition and quite often, they panic when she gets the ball. We were all sad, but we talked about it with her and she surprisingly reminded us why we were in Morocco and said, “If it was the will of God, then so be it” and that we must accept it that God chose it to be that way. But she also added we must never despair or doubt His ways and should look forward to the remainder of the game mindful of our aims and objectives. She told us she supported us and believed in the entire team!

TK: Let’s talk about the final against Morocco.

NM: The big thing was that we had come that far and we felt it was now or never! We felt that if we didn’t win, we were unlikely to get another opportunity. We also felt that we’ve managed to assemble quite a formidable squad, perhaps even the best ever in the history of South Africa, and it was our time. I must admit though that when we entered the field to stretch and warm up, I felt a little intimidated when we saw that massive crowd. However, the coach calmed our nerves and reminded us that we had come that far, worked so hard and that we could not afford to falter at that stage. She told us that we were the better side and believe me, when the whistle was blown, we gave it our all.

TK: Were you guys aware that the referee had indicated four minutes of optional time towards the end of the game but ended up playing almost nine minutes?

NM: I also seemed to have noticed that she raised four fingers, indicating the time that would be added. However, the person that noticed everything was “Fifi” (Refiloe Jane) because she said, “They added nine minutes, guys. Now let’s dig in and take this thing home!” We did not think stoppage time exceeded five additional minutes and I hope I don’t get into trouble, but I felt maybe they were trying to let the home side get something out of the game. But we were having none of that and even though they were throwing everything at us, we held on and I’m really proud of this team!

TK: We understand during the week leading up to the final, the team was subjected to underhand tactics aimed at distracting you…

NM: This is Africa and everybody knows that you will always encounter some form of gamesmanship here and there. I remember one day we could not train at the venue allocated us. Then, on another day, the lights were switched off a few minutes after we started training. Then on another day, they started watering the pitch the minute we started training. It is all tactics intended to divert our concentration. Nevertheless, we were focused and nothing was going to distract us. It only increased our determination to succeed.

TK: Which one was your toughest match?

NM: It has to be the opening match against Nigeria. We gave it everything and Nigeria were equally determined to do well. Remember we came from beating them 4-2 in their home during the Aisha Buhari Cup and it must have hurt and embarrassed them. They wanted to win so badly and they literally stretched us, but we had a game plan and, in the end, we showed everyone that when the going gets tough, we are capable of putting out foot down and engaging in our vaunted passing game Mzansi style!

TK: Botswana and Zambia seem to give Banyana a hard time these days.

NM: Southern African football has grown in leaps and bounds, thanks to a large degree to COSAFA, who are determined to develop football in our region by organizing tournaments for the U17s right up to the seniors, both men and women. As a result, we play against each other on a regular basis and they have come to know us and we know them very well. If you recall, it was Botswana who eliminated us from the Tokyo Olympics qualifiers and they, in turn, were eliminated by Zambia. The gap between countries in COSAFA has narrowed and that is why results are very tight when we play them.

TK: And your best game?

NM: The game against Nigeria, because I faced certainly one of the biggest stars in women’s football, Asisat Oshoala, who was the reigning African Footballer of the Year. But I don’t think she saw the ball at all. I kept a tight leash on her and put her in my pocket. I never allowed her to get set at all. We all know she can be dangerous, but the fact that she had to be withdrawn before the end of the game was testimony that I certainly never allowed her even to breathe.

TK: Which areas of Banyana do you feel needs improving ahead of the World Cup?

NM: We have a problem when we play so-called weaker or smaller teams as it was the case against Burundi. We create a glut of chances but fail to convert when it seems the easiest thing to do. Yet when we face stronger opposition, they seem to bring the best out of us and we are a little more clinical. These are the things that we need to work on and iron out prior to the World Cup because at that level, there is no time to waste chances, otherwise you get punished.

TK: Few people are aware that you started out as a striker. How has the transformation to defence been?

NM: It has not been easy. But luckily for me, I played alongside Janine Van Wyk, who was not just generous in terms of giving me tips but went out of her way to assist me and told me how to position myself and how to shadow-mark an opponent. In fact, she assisted me a lot in terms of settling down as a fully-fledged defender. Now I have an advantage in that being a former striker, I can read their minds and almost instantly know what a striker thinks in a certain situation. However, I am not telling!

TK: How did you feel when President Cyril Ramaphosa said both Bafana and Banyana must be paid equally?

NM: He is telling the truth because for a very long time, we’ve always debated as to why there was this unfair parity in remunerations? We do the same job, wear the same national colors, sing the same national anthem and play the same 90 minutes, so why are they favoured more than we are? Mind you, we have nothing but respect for Bafana, but if you look at our records, you realise that we have won the COSAFA Cup, qualified for the last two Olympic Games, qualified for successive World Cups and now we are also African champions. I think we’ve proved ourselves and this parity must be addressed. I’m equally glad that it came from the number one citizen of our country and hopefully it will filter down to the Minister of Sport and SAFA President Dr Danny Jordaan, who, to their credit, are both in agreement that we need to be paid equally.

TK: Thank you very, Noko. NM: You are most welcome.