Football fans are urged to go in their numbers to support the South African women's senior national team in their upcoming international matches.
Banyana Banyana are in Cape Town, where they are scheduled to play international matches against opponents from Europe this weekend and next week.
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This weekend's scheduled match for Banyana will be against the Netherlands in the inaugural Winnie Mandela International Challenge at the Cape Town Stadium on Saturday at 15h00.
Desiree Ellis' side will then face Sweden in the Albertina Sisulu Centenary Challenge at the same venue next Tuesday from 19h00.
The matches will also serve as preparation for Banyana for their participation in the FIFA World Cup, which will be held in France from 07 June to 07 July this year.
"Prior to our departure to Ghana for the Africa Women Cup of Nations, I received questions about whether or not I believed Banyana Banyana would qualify for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in France and I would confidently answer 'Yes'. I truly believed that the amount of talent in our squad was more than enough to take us all the way to the World Cup. The qualities of hard work, dedication and teamwork that I have seen in this team are incredible," Banyana captain Janine van Wyk cited of the team's prospects.
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"Qualifying for the World Cup is a dream come true, not only for myself but for all the players, managers, technical team, upcoming players, and South Africa as a whole. We have done well as a team, with numerous achievements that I am very proud of, but qualifying for the World Cup is the crowning achievement of our careers. Rather than viewing this as the culmination of a decade of planning, we must see it as the beginning of a new era for women's football. It is amazing to see the hope that we have awakened in our South African fans and young women looking up to us. It is proof that women footballers in South Africa have the potential to become the best and are more than capable of competing on the world stage," she added.
"The opportunities are limitless, it is up to us and the upcoming players to grow and keep improving women's football in South Africa. Each one of us has the ability to work hard and become even better. I'm confident that this qualification will open more doors and build support for the team. I hope that it pushes sponsors to come on board and support women's football in South Africa. This qualification has proven that women are capable and that we truly are limitless. World Cup qualification is evidence that dreams can come true for aspiring young women in football. I hope that this inspires them to take their talent seriously and work hard because doing so can only take women's football to greater heights. There is an African proverb that says, 'It takes a village to raise a child'. This means that for a child to reach their full potential it takes a community of various individuals who each play a different role," said Van Wyk.
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"I urge all South Africans to continue supporting Banyana Banyana and women's football as a whole. Come to the games and continue to show your love on social media, we appreciate each and every supporter. I hope to see Cape Town residents attend these games and fill up the stadium. To those who continue to support and help grow women's football, coaches, parents, teachers we see you, we salute you," concluded the captain.
