Amanda Dlamini calls time on her playing career

Having a chat with SABC Sport- former Banyana Banyana midfielder Amanda Dlamini has called time to her playing career.

Dlamini who retired from the national team in 2018, last played club football in the previous season when she was in the books of JVW FC, in the Hollywoodbets Super League.

Her playing career saw her lead Banyana Banyana to their first ever Olympic Games in 2012 and also played in the 2016 edition in Rio de Janeiro. She also earned 105 caps for the national team.

The 33-year old was appointed as Safa™s Senior Manager for Commercial and Marketing in 2021, said her time on the pitch is over.

œYeah most probably I think to be realist for me it™s very difficult cause you know honestly, I want to play football but the at the same time I™m not getting paid so the time that I have investing I think a whole lot of other girls, the younger ones are still coming in very young and ambitious, still have the drive to compete to be honest they coming at the time where Hollywoodbets is really putting so much more money and effort into professionalising women football.

œBut the thing is for me, at my age at 33 if I still want to compete it will be like two more seasons. There are opportunities that I™m working on, collaborations that I™m working on.

œI think like Portia said-there is never an alternative for women™s football you almost forced into a situation and for me that is my situation, I™m opting to have a better sustainable career outside football than investing my time in football that is still not paying women™s football properly, so it™s just a difficult one to be honest but I have to be realistic to myself-I don™t have time to do everything said Dlamini as she explained her retirement.

Even though she retired without a Women™s Afcon gold medal,Dlamini said she is content with her achievements.

The former Banyana captain added that she has been inspired by Portia Modise and Thembi Kgatlana who have published books and she hopes to tell her story in a book someday.

By Busisiwe Mokwena