13 May 2019– It was less than a year ago – in fact six months ago, when midfielder Sibulele Holweni was leading the South African U17 Women’s National Team as captain in the 2018 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup in Uruguay.
Afterwards she graduated to the South African U20 Women’s National Team – fast forward to May 2019 and she makes her debut in the South African Senior Women’s National Team (Banyana Banyana) in the heart of midfield, in a clash against World Champions, USA.
The match took place at the Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California in the USA on Sunday, 12 May where South Africa unfortunately lost 3-0.
Holweni, who is a student of the High Performance Centre in Pretoria, is looking forward to her second world cup in succession.
Just a few months ago, she was in awe of Banyana Banyana players like captain Janine van Wyk, Refiloe Jane, Mamello Makhabane, Jermaine Seoposenwe, Noko Matlou, Nompumelelo Nyandeni and Leandra Smeda, among others, and now she is rubbing shoulders with those players on the same pitch.
In the current Senior Women’s National Team, she is in good company alongside players who have progressed the same route as her – from U17 to U20 and to Banyana Banyana – and these are Karabo Dhlamini who she played with in Uruguay last year, Seoposenwe, Kaylin Swart and Nomvula Kgoale, who were part of the 2010 U17 Women’s National Team in Trinidad and Tobago.