Janine van Wyk

Janine van Wyk (born 17 April 1987) is a former South African professional soccer defender and owner of JVW F.C., a club she founded and bears her name. Van Wyk was the captain of the South African women's national team, has the most international caps among African women's national teams with 185^[3] and was the first South African ever to play in the U.S. National Women's Soccer League.^[4]

Janine van Wyk

Van Wyk in October 2018
Personal information
Full name	Janine van Wyk[1]
Date of birth	(1987-04-17) 17 April 1987 (age 37)
Place of birth	Alberton, South Africa
Height	1.64 m (5 ft 5 in)[2]
Position(s)	Defender
Youth career
	Springs Home Sweepers
	Scaw Metals
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
	Moroka Swallows
	Palace Super Falcons
2013–2016	JVW
2017–2018	Houston Dash	41	(0)
2019	JVW	6	(2)
2019–2020	Fortuna Hjørring	0	(0)
2020–2021	Glasgow City	3	(1)
2021-2022	JVW
2022-2023	Ergotelis
2023	JVW
International career
2005–2023	South Africa	185	(12)
Managerial career
2016	JVW (player-coach)
Medal record Representing  South Africa Women's Africa Cup of Nations 2006 Nigeria 2008 Equatorial Guinea 2010 South Africa 2012 Equatorial Guinea 2018 Ghana 2022 Morocco
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:00, 22 March 2021 (UTC)

Early life and education

Van Wyk was born in Alberton^[5] to Dannie van Wyk.^[6] She grew up in Germiston and started playing soccer at the age of 6, attending Hoërskool Alberton, an Afrikaans medium school that did not play soccer, along the way. Her first team was the Springs Home Sweepers in KwaThema.^[7][8] She came out at aged 15.^[9]

Club career

A few years later, Van Wyk joined the Moroka Swallows and later, the Palace Super Falcons from Thembisa, where she was part of a team that won three consecutive league titles. Van Wyk called her time with the Super Falcons "memorable", and said that in the three league victories they were "untouchable". She then founded her own club, named JVW F.C.^[7] She previously served as player-coach for the club.^[10] Fans of football have nicknamed her "Booth".^[7]

On 21 December 2016, she signed with the Houston Dash in the National Women's Soccer League.^[11] In 2017 she made 17 appearances for the Dash.^[12] Van Wyk returned to Houston for the 2018 NWSL season, she appeared in 20 games.^[12] On 1 October 2018 van Wyk was waived by the Houston Dash and placed on re-entry waivers but her rights were not claimed by another team.^[13]

In August 2019, she signed for Danish club Fortuna Hjorring.^[14] After a knee injury during a training session and returning to South Africa, on 14 January 2020, van Wyk announced that she and Fortuna Hjorring had agreed to terminate her contract so she could focus on rehabilitation.^[15]

Van Wyk returned to Europe in July 2020 when she signed for Scottish Women's Premier League (SWPL) club Glasgow City.^[16] After making one appearance in a UEFA Women's Champions League match against VfL Wolfsburg, her SWPL debut was delayed for several months due to a combination of a knee injury and the suspension of the league during the COVID-19 pandemic.^[17]

International career

Van Wyk made her national team debut in 2005 against Nigeria in the African Women's Championship. Van Wyk scored a stunning free kick when Banyana recorded their first ever win over Nigeria since the women's national team was formed in 1993. Van Wyk scored the only goal of that match, with Banyana knocking Nigeria out of the 2012 African Women's Championship.^[18] She was a member of the South African team who played at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom. She said she was proud to represent her country at an Olympic Games, despite the team being knocked out in the first round.^[19]

Van Wyk played her 100th cap for South Africa against Namibia, winning 2–0 in August 2014.^[20] At the time, she was the second most capped South African women's player as her teammate Portia Modise won her 110th cap in the same match.^[21]

On 28 March 2016, she became South Africa's most capped player (male or female) when she made her 125th appearance against Cameroon.^[22] On 18 September 2018, she earned her 150th cap for South Africa.^[4] Van Wyk became the first Captain to lead her team to a Women's World Cup Appearance, as well as the first Captain in South Africa's history to lead a South African Team at the 2019 Women's World Cup. Van Wyk captained the Banyana Banyana to their first WAFCON victory in 2022, where they defeated hosts Morocco 2–1 in the final despite Van Wyk not starting the match.^[23] Van Wyk played her final match for South Africa on 4 December 2023, helping them secure WAFCON qualification in a 2–0 home victory over Burkina Faso.

JVW

Van Wyk founded a football club JVW in 2013 "with the intention to focus on the development of the female football player whilst providing a platform for them to reach higher levels in the sport. Starting with only one team in 2013 that participated in the Sasol League, JVW FC has grown tremendously in the past years developing young female athletes to now having Five teams representing the Football Club"^[24] The JVW First team won the Gauteng Sasol League in 2016, where Van Wyk served as a Player-coach, and reached the Sasol League National Championship final where they ultimately lost 1–0 to Bloemfontein Celtic Ladies. A couple years later in 2019 JVW FC won the Gauteng Sasol League once again and became the National Champions beating Limpopo representatives Maindies Ladies 2–0 in the final and booked their place in the recently launched (2019) National Women's League.

International goals

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	4 November 2010	Daveyton, South Africa	Nigeria	1–2	1–2	2010 African Women's Championship
2.	7 November 2012	Bata, Equatorial Guinea	Nigeria	1–0	1–0	2012 African Women's Championship
3.	20 October 2021	Maputo, Mozambique	Mozambique	4–0	7–0	2022 Women's Africa Cup of Nations qualification

Honours

Glasgow City

• Scottish Women's Premier League: 2020–21^[25]

South Africa

• Women's Africa Cup of Nations: 2022,^[26] runner-up: 2008, 2012, 2018; third place: 2006, 2010

Individual

• South African Football Association Best Female Player: 2010^[27]
• COSAFA Women's Championship Player of the Tournament: 2011
• Ekurhuleni Sports Awards Ekurhuleni Sports Woman of the Year: 2012^[27]
• Gauteng Sports Awards Sports Personality of the Year: 2015^[28]
• IFFHS CAF Women's Team of the Decade^{[broken anchor]} 2011–2020^[29]
• IFFHS All-time Africa Women's Dream Team: 2021^[30]

References

1. "FIFA Women's World Cup France 2019 – List of Players: South Africa" (PDF). FIFA. 27 May 2019. p. 20. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 May 2019. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
2. "Women's Olympic Football Tournament London 2012 – List of Players South Africa" (PDF). FIFA. 24 July 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 August 2012. Retrieved 19 October 2014.
3. "Holders South Africa book Women's Nations Cup spot". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 4 December 2023. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
4. "Janine van Wyk celebrates her 150th Banyana Banyana cap". 18 September 2018. Archived from the original on 4 July 2019. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
5. "All eyes on Rio for Janine". Alberton Record. 7 October 2015. Archived from the original on 6 March 2017. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
6. Skosana, Cyril (10 June 2014). "Janine Van Wyk And Her Dad". The Sports Eagle. Archived from the original on 24 August 2019. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
7. Mukwevho Ne-vumbani, Victor (30 May 2014). "Banyana Banyana defender aims high". The Tembisan. Archived from the original on 18 May 2019. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
8. "South Africa captain Janine van Wyk's journey to the Women's World Cup". BBC Sport. 6 June 2019. Archived from the original on 16 June 2019. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
9. Inocéncio, Josh (14 August 2017). "From One South to Another: Houston Dash Player Talks Journey from South Africa to Texas". Spectrum South. Archived from the original on 17 June 2024. Retrieved 28 September 2019.
10. "Banyana captain gives back to football". southafrica.info. 29 April 2013. Archived from the original on 10 March 2016. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
11. "Houston Dash sign South African defender Janine Van Wyk". 21 December 2016. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
12. "J. VAN WYK". Retrieved 20 March 2019.
13. "NWSL players available on the Re-Entry Wire". 1 October 2018. Archived from the original on 14 December 2019. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
14. "Janine van Wyk: South Africa captain signs for Danish club Fortuna Hjorring". BBC Sport. 25 August 2019.
15. "Injury forces Janine van Wyk to end contract in Denmark". BBC. 14 January 2020.
16. "Janine Van Wyk Signs for City". Glasgow City FC. 14 July 2020. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
17. Lambley, Garrin (24 February 2021). "Janine van Wyk: Banyana Banyana skipper over knee injury, ready to play". The South African. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
18. "Van Wyk set for Banyana Banyana century – News – Kick Off". KickOff. 9 August 2014. Archived from the original on 12 April 2016. Retrieved 14 August 2014.
19. van Wyk, Janine (2 August 2012). "Janine Van Wyk "I am so proud to be a part of London 2012 Olympics" – Exclusive player blog for Women's Soccer United". Goal.com. Archived from the original on 18 November 2016. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
20. "Banyana down Namibia in Van Wyk's 100th". SouthAfrica.info. 11 August 2014. Archived from the original on 23 October 2014. Retrieved 15 August 2014.
21. van Wyk, Janine (1 September 2014). "Reaching milestones as South Africa (Banyana Banyana) continue on the road to the 2014 African Women's Championship". Goal.com. Archived from the original on 17 November 2016. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
22. "Banyana Banyana captain breaks SA record". South African Football Association. 8 April 2016. Archived from the original on 10 April 2016. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
23. "South Africa beat Morocco to win first Wafcon title". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 18 April 2023. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
24. "Home". JVW Football Club. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
25. "Van Wyk leaves Glasgow for SA return". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 17 June 2024. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
26. "Magaia brace hands South Africa first TotalEnergies WAFCON trophy". CAF. 29 June 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
27. "Van Wyk delighted with CAF nomination". SAFA.net. 12 December 2016.
28. "Banyana Banyana captain Janine van Wyk wins Sport Personality of the Year award". Kick Off. 15 October 2015. Archived from the original on 18 July 2022. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
29. "IFFHS Women's CAF Team Decade 2011–2020". The International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS). 28 January 2021. Archived from the original on 2 April 2023. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
30. "IFFHS All-time Africa Women's Dream Team". The International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS). 7 June 2021. Archived from the original on 7 June 2021. Retrieved 7 August 2023.

External links

• Official website
• Janine van Wyk – FIFA competition record (archived)
• Janine van Wyk at Soccerway