Janine van Wyk

Janine van Wyk (born 17 April 1987) is a South African former professional soccer player who played as a defender for her own club JVW and captained the South Africa women's national team. She is the highest capped player in South Africa with 185 appearances, and highest capped player in CAF.

She has played for Houston Dash in the National Women's Soccer League, becoming the first South African player signed to this league. On 18 September 2018, van Wyk earned her 150th cap for the South Africa women's national soccer team, she holds the record as the most capped South African football player of any gender.

Early life and education
Van Wyk was born in Alberton, South Africa to Dannie van Wyk. She grew up in Germiston and she started playing soccer at the age of 6. She attended Hoërskool Alberton, an Afrikaans medium school that did not play soccer. Her first girls team was Springs Home Sweepers based in KwaThema. She came out at aged 15.

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. She previously served as player-coach for the club. Fans of football have nicknamed her "Booth".

On 21 December 2016, she signed with the Houston Dash in the National Women's Soccer League. In 2017 she made 17 appearances for the Dash. Van Wyk returned to Houston for the 2018 NWSL season, she appeared in 20 games. 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.

In August 2019, she signed for Danish club Fortuna Hjorring. 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.

Van Wyk returned to Europe in July 2020 when she signed for Scottish Women's Premier League (SWPL) club Glasgow City. 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.

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. 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.

Van Wyk played her 100th cap for South Africa against Namibia, winning 2–0 in August 2014. 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.

On 28 March 2016, she became South Africa's most capped player (male or female) when she made her 125th appearance against Cameroon. On 18 September 2018, she earned her 150th cap for South Africa. 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. 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" 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.

Honours
Glasgow City

South Africa
 * Scottish Women's Premier League: 2020–21


 * Women's Africa Cup of Nations: 2022, runner-up: 2008, 2012, 2018; third place: 2006, 2010

Individual
 * South African Football Association Best Female Player: 2010
 * COSAFA Women's Championship Player of the Tournament: 2011
 * Ekurhuleni Sports Awards Ekurhuleni Sports Woman of the Year: 2012
 * Gauteng Sports Awards Sports Personality of the Year: 2015
 * IFFHS CAF Women's Team of the Decade 2011–2020
 * IFFHS All-time Africa Women's Dream Team: 2021