In Rabat

Tried and tested Banyana Banyana defender Janine van Wyk has advised her teammate to invest their R400,000 bonuses they’ll get for clinching the Africa Women’s Cup of Nations (Wafcon) trophy, warning them against spending on material things. 

SA Football Association promised to give each Banyana player R400,000 should they win the Wafcon and the team did not disappoint, outwitting hosts Morocco 2-1 in the final at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium on Saturday night.

The 35-year-old Van Wyk does not want to see these bonuses being spent recklessly.

Hildah Magaia scored the brace for SA while Rosella Ayane was Morocco’s scorer.

“I have already told them [her teammates] that they need to invest the money and not buy fancy things like clothes and expensive cars. They must look at getting things like properties because life is not about now but about what you want in the future,” Van Wyk told Sowetan after the match. 

“I will be definitely investing mine but I haven’t really thought about what kind of investment I’ll use it on. We must always try to be smart when it comes to money. These are just bonuses not salaries, so there’s no need to go all out.”

Van Wyk also emphasised she never felt hard done by her lack of game time in Morocco, where she only featured in the last pool stages clash against Botswana. The veteran centre-back is proud of the role she played off the field, disclosing she’ll bow out after next year’s World Cup in Mexico and New Zealand.

“I don’t feel hard done by at all. It’s about the team not me as an individual. I will push hard to make the World Cup squad...obviously that’ll be the closing tournament for me. I have brought a lot of leadership to the squad...a lot of motivation, especially off the pitch. I knew I needed to support my teammates and I am proud of that. I feel that I have played a key role to mentor these youngsters,” Van Wyk said.