Jermaine Seoposengwe Shares Shocking Reasons for Retiring From Banyana Banyana
Jermaine Seoposengwe Shares Shocking Reasons for Retiring From Banyana Banyana. A few weeks before the Women’s African Cup of Nations tournament, Jermaine Seoposengwe announced her retirement from international football. The South African forward stated that she will retire from Banyana Banyana after the completion of WAFCON in Morocco, this which took place this past July.
In her statement Seoposengwe shared that this was not an easy decision to make, but she felt it was time. She takes it as a privilege to have played for the national team, and thanked everyone who has been part pf her amazing journey. Seoposengwe made a total of 112 caps in the 15 years she played for the national team, scoring 20 goals in the process.
In an interview with Robert Marawa, Seoposenwe revealed the reasons for her decision to step away from Banyana. She said this was driven by deep frustration with the way players are treated by the South African Football Association (SAFA). From ongoing disputes over pay to shocking resource shortages, she painted a picture of a broken system that fails to support its women footballers. She also highlighted the absence of basic professional necessities, like a dedicated dietician and pointed out poor accommodation conditions. Seoposengwe also questioned the sustainability of SAFA’s leadership structure. She challenged the relevance of the National Executive Committee (NEC), asking whether it serves the needs of the players or simply maintains the status quo.
“The association, the coaching and the culture is why I’m retiring! If we as a nation say we love football as much as we say we do then we have a responsibility to bring change. My hope is that my retirement will start a necessary conversation, one that we have been ignoring for years. But if it doesn’t I have done my part! And I will fight for change in whichever way I can, because the next generation deserves that. Just like the people before me forged a path for me to be where I am today so will I,” Seoposengwe further said on X.
