PORTIA Modise has taken on the elder stateswoman role in the Banyana Banyana team, even though outwardly she does not seem to warm to it.
Getting to 100 international goals is something else and such is the magnitude of the achievement that only one male footballer, Iran's Ali Daei, has reached the mark.
There are disparities in competition between the men's and the women's game, which does tend to explain the fact that 13 women have score 100-plus goals for their respective countries.
Only when her landmark of 100 goals from 117 appearances is compared to that of Benni McCarthy, who is Bafana Bafana's top goalscorer with 32 goals from 81 matches, does it become clear how significant Modise's achievement is.
The 31-year-old is the first African player to reach the landmark but she seemed nonplussed by the fanfare.
"I would be lying if I say I did not feel good after scoring but, hey, I did. It is an excellent achievement but I do think I have a disease of being unable to celebrate my successes," a shy Modise said.
"I have always felt that it was part of my job description to score goals and doing so has meant that there has not been a need to celebrate that. I do know that it has not been easy but when there is hard work and discipline involved, there are rewards to be reaped. However, I always believed that I could do it and I do."
Most of Modise's goals are storied, which includes her brace against Nigeria in the 2004 Olympic qualifiers that earned Banyana a first positive result against their nemesis.
She will be hoping for the same kind of performance today as Banyana face the Super Falcons in the African Women's Championship semifinal at 5pm, where a win will secure a place at next year's World Cup in Canada.
But there is the void of a missing appearance at the World Cup, which she said would be the cherry on top of her career.
The fact that Nigeria stand in her way make the prospect of today's semifinal more exciting.
"I will celebrate a win a against them more than any of my 100 goals," Modise said.
Portia oozes confidence
PORTIA Modise has taken on the elder stateswoman role in the Banyana Banyana team, even though outwardly she does not seem to warm to it.
Getting to 100 international goals is something else and such is the magnitude of the achievement that only one male footballer, Iran's Ali Daei, has reached the mark.
There are disparities in competition between the men's and the women's game, which does tend to explain the fact that 13 women have score 100-plus goals for their respective countries.
Only when her landmark of 100 goals from 117 appearances is compared to that of Benni McCarthy, who is Bafana Bafana's top goalscorer with 32 goals from 81 matches, does it become clear how significant Modise's achievement is.
The 31-year-old is the first African player to reach the landmark but she seemed nonplussed by the fanfare.
"I would be lying if I say I did not feel good after scoring but, hey, I did. It is an excellent achievement but I do think I have a disease of being unable to celebrate my successes," a shy Modise said.
"I have always felt that it was part of my job description to score goals and doing so has meant that there has not been a need to celebrate that. I do know that it has not been easy but when there is hard work and discipline involved, there are rewards to be reaped. However, I always believed that I could do it and I do."
Most of Modise's goals are storied, which includes her brace against Nigeria in the 2004 Olympic qualifiers that earned Banyana a first positive result against their nemesis.
She will be hoping for the same kind of performance today as Banyana face the Super Falcons in the African Women's Championship semifinal at 5pm, where a win will secure a place at next year's World Cup in Canada.
But there is the void of a missing appearance at the World Cup, which she said would be the cherry on top of her career.
The fact that Nigeria stand in her way make the prospect of today's semifinal more exciting.
"I will celebrate a win a against them more than any of my 100 goals," Modise said.
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