On Monday, Janine van Wyk made history by becoming the most-capped African footballer, surpassing the previous record held by Egyptian Ahmed Hassan.
Van Wyk achieved this feat by playing her 185th game for South Africa in a 2-0 African Women’s Cup of Nations qualifying win over Burkina Faso.
The central defender, who is 36 years old, played for eight minutes before being substituted and confirming her retirement.
Van Wyk made her debut for South Africa in 2005 and reached 100 caps nine years later.
She matched Hassan’s record by playing in a drawn first leg against Burkina Faso last week.
Her illustrious career with Banyana Banyana (The Girls) included playing at the 2019 World Cup and the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games.
As the heatwave temperature reached 34 Celsius (93 Fahrenheit), Van Wyk was close to tears as she hugged her teammates before leaving the Atteridgeville pitch.
She expressed her gratitude to all those who helped her during her long career and acknowledged that younger players are seeking selection.
She believes that senior players like her must develop and make younger players feel at home, then step aside.
Apart from playing for JVW, a Johannesburg club she formed, Van Wyk had spells with Houston Dash, Fortuna Hjorring in Denmark, and Glasgow City.
South Africa is the defending Women’s Cup of Nations champions, having beaten hosts Morocco in the 2022 final.
The 3-1 aggregate win over Burkina Faso clinched a place in the next finals.
