Van Wyk – I Don’t Want To Cause A Storm But…

Janine Van Wyk says she doesn’t want to cause a storm and put herself in the spotlight about being snubbed from Banyana Banyana, however, she needed to express the disappointment and hurt about being overlooked despite being to close to an African record.

Van Wyk was part of Desiree Ellis’ national team camp against Brazil after the team returned from their successful Women’s Africa Cup of Nations campaign in Morocco, and was overlooked for the Turkey Cup and the recent friendly against Serbia.

She reveals to iDiski Times writer Lethabo Kganyago in the current edition of the newspaper that the last time she spoke to Ellis was in September last year.

The long serving stalwart seems hurt by the lack of communication from the relevant authorities about her future in the team, with the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup around the corner.

While doesn’t want bad publicity around the team, the 35-year-old defender explains that all she wants is to become the highest capped player on the African continent – male or female -a record which she believes wouldn’t be just hers alone but a great achievement for South Africa as a whole.

“I didn’t want to put everything out there and my thoughts and my feelings because there’s a lot that I want to express but I’m also trying to be professional in what I do because I know, it’s the eve of the World Cup,” Van Wyk told iDiski Times.

“I don’t want any animosity. I don’t want attention on myself because the players also need to concentrate on what they are there for. I don’t want to shift attention from Banyana, which is currently a very successful team by putting up a storm because of my individual needs and requirements.

“But I just feel that there is so much more to say and to put out there but I don’t want to do that right now. That’s why when you asked me for this interview I was like I will say what I can say, express some of my feelings about it. Of course I’m disappointed but I don’t want a negative story in and around Banyana”

“The last conversation I had with Desiree [Ellis] was just before the Australia camp in September, where it was a brief conversation to say that she is not calling me for that camp just because she needs to look at other players. That is fine and it is what coaches do and they need to look at how they are going to rebuild their squad for the future and the World Cup.

“But since then I haven’t been communicated with, I haven’t been called up for the Turkey camp and I haven’t been called-up for the Serbia camp. It just feels like I haven’t been given that chance to continue to prove myself and my worth. I get that youngsters need to be given a chance. I truly do but to just be completely left in the dark and no communication it’s just disappointing to me and it hurts me because I’ve served my country for so many years.

“And to just be left out like that, having to just achieve one last thing for myself, but not only for myself, I think it’s for the country as well, having Portia Modise hold the record for the highest goal scorer on the continent as a female and another South African female to be the highest capped on the continent, it’s another record for SAFA [South African Football Association].”

Van Wyk has represented South Africa 182, which is just two games short of Egypt legend Ahmed Hassan’s record of 184.

– Advertisement –

You can read Van Wyk’s full interview with Kganyago, where she also talks about Kaizer Chiefs’ offer for her club JVW FC, in edition 99 of the newspaper available for free at all Shoprite stores in Gauteng and on our website.