Jane Eyes More Success After Reaching 150-Cap Milestone

By Malose Wa Ga Lamola 



Banyana Banyana beat Japan 1-0 on Tuesday morning at the Green Sakai Field in Osaka on Tuesday in the final match of the two international friendlies.

Linda Mothlalo' solitary goal was enough to hand coach Dr. Desiree Ellis's charges the bragging rights after losing 5-0 on Saturday. Mothlalo netted her 25th goal in Banyana Banyana colors in her 99th appearance. 


On the same day as the victory over Japan, another milestone was reached. Banyana Banyana captain Refiloe Jane earned her 150th cap.

Jane joins former captain Jenine Van Wyk, Noko Matlou, and Nompumelelo Nyandeni in the top tier of players. 'Fifinho,' as Jane is affectionately known in her circle, made her first Banyana Banyana appearance in 2012 against Cyprus in the Cyprus Cup.

The Soweto-born star admits it has been a rollercoaster ride, but she has enjoyed it. The Sesquicentennial reflected on her journey and expressed her excitement to the Sasol Banyana Banyana media team.

“I am very excited to have reached 150 caps for Banyana Banyana. It feels so heavy, but I am very happy and humbled by the journey to get to where I am. It was not easy and still going to be difficult going forward. There is a lot coming ahead, and now we are preparing for the WAFCON. It has been an interesting journey, full of ups and downs, having to come from injuries and rejoining the team. My first cap was against Cyprus away, and to have 150 away from home again is a great feeling. I get all the support from home, but above all, the support I get from the team is what has gotten me here, and I am very happy for the opportunity given to me." Said Jane.

Also Read: We Want To Emulate The Boys

Jane puts winning the 2022 edition of the  Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) up there at the pinnacle of her career achievements.  

"Winning WAFCON stands out for me through this long journey,” said Jane.

The Banyana Banyana technical team made a few tactical changes to the team that played on Saturday, with Kaylin Swart taking over goalkeeping from Andile Dlamini. Thembi Kgatlana and Bongeka Gamede replaced Gabriela Moodaly-Salgado and Nonhlanhla Mthandi in the starting lineup. 

"In terms of the game, it was very interesting; we made some corrections from the first game, and we told ourselves that we would not return home with two losses. We played well for another, great saves from Kaylin and we made sure that things worked for us. What turned things around for us is that we stayed switched on throughout the game and stayed compact.” said Jane. 


@Lamola_Herold 













Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Moletsane: I Don't Take It For Granted

Image
By Malose Wa Ga Lamola   Katlego Moletsane, a goalkeeper at the University of Fort Hare, tells ShakingInk that being named one of the top goalkeepers in the Hollywoodbets Super League is motivation enough to roll up her sleeves and get to work.  Moletsane has been nominated in the best goalkeeper of the season category, alongside Banyana Banyana teammates Kaylin Swart of JVW Girls Football and Dineo Magagula of TS Galaxy Queens. Moletsane won the Hollywoodbets Super League Goalkeeper of the Season title for the 2021/2022 season. Moletsane, often known as 'China,' says being nominated against Swart and Magagula demonstrates how hard she has worked to improve her game. "It is always a pleasure to be nominated, and I do not take it for granted, especially given the level of goalkeepers in this nation. Having previously won it, this nomination seems as important since it demonstrates consistency and hard effort throughout the seasons. I'm very pleased of them,...
Read more

Smeda: It Is Up To The Coach

Image
By Malose Wa Ga Lamola   Leandra Smeda in action for TS Galaxy Queens against University of Johannesburg in the Hollywoodbets Super League. Photo Cred: (@leandrasmeda17 Instagram) Leandra Smeda scooped the Hollywoodbets Super League Best Footballer of the Year accolade at the league's end-of-season celebration on Sunday night at Voda World in Midrand.  "I believe that my experience over the years, as well as the fact that I played for the majority of my career and my versatility as a player, contributed significantly to my performance last season." Said Smeda.  The Velddrif-born standout credits her experience and hard work for being crowned the league's best player. For a long period, South Africa has struggled with goal scoring. Smeda led the scoring charts with 22 goals last season. She attributes her goal-scoring abilities to a desire to score goals and the assistance she received from the technical team. "There is no genuine secret. I believe it ...
Read more