The Banyana Banyana of SA are having a fancy 2018/19 season. Winning the COSAFA Cup was the beginning, making their first ever world cup and AWCON silver medal, then followed the personal awards: Thembi Kgatlana, coach Desiree Ellis, and now Refiloe Jane has arrived the 100 game milestone.
Not only is it difficult for this to happen in the Women’s game, but giving the high level of competitiveness in the ranks of SA, it is fair the say, the 26-year-old Vice captain, is the rare specie of a lady kicking the round object.
Coincidentally, the lady nicknamed ‘Fifinho’ began her ride to supremacy in 2012 in this same tournament she reached the milestone (Cyprus Cup), and since then SA have hardly kicked a ball without the metronome on the field of play.
From the small girl that had one thing in mind (playing football) in 2012 making her debut against Ireland, she is now a pillar of the women’s game in the continent. Since then she has quite an enviable career, behind already;
2012 London Olympic games
2012 & 2018 African Women’s championship runner-up
2013 and 2015 world student games
2013 VUT sports woman of the year
2013 Gauteng future champions Ambassador
2016 Rio Olympic games
2018 World cup qualification
Born in Soweto, South Africa Jane currently shoulders the jersey number 6 for Canberra united, in the W-League, Australia_her fourth club after Colchester united LFC, Mamelodi Sundowns women, Vaal University of Technology.
She has scored 12, and counting for Banyana Banyana, and she is one of those to look out for in the Women’s world cup.
Women’s football is on the high at the moment, and accolades are going along with it. Kick442 congratulates Refiloe for getting there, while wishing her the best going forward.
Banyana Banyana posses some of the finest grains of soccer players in the continent, reminiscent to this fact is the recent trap the team set for the Lionesses of Cameroon in the Cosafa cup challenge, and the super falcons of Nigeria found it difficult to beat this near-perfect side in the just ended AWCON.
Giovanni Wanneh.
