Thalea Smidt confidently fighting for Banyana Banyana return

"I'm enjoying myself, that's the most important thing," she told SABC Sport, following two assists in AmaTuks' 7-0 thrashing of Copperbelt Ladies FC in round 16 of the Hollywoodbets Super League at Tuks Stadium on Sunday.

Smidt is a multiple-trophy winner, including two Super League titles and the inaugural Women’s CAF Champions League with parent club Mamelodi Sundowns (2021/2022), as well as a reigning Women’s Africa Cup of Nation (WAFCON) champion with Banyana Banyana.

But, as the Cape Town-born star discovered, a lot can happen in two years. 

Despite being a key figure in those successes, Smidt found herself out in the cold and unable to break into coach Jerry Tshabalala’s Sundowns team this season.

Fortunately, she didn’t have to walk too far to find solace – just a few kilometres away was a familiar face in Maude Khumalo.

The former Banyana Banyana defender and Under-20 Women’s national coach needed an experienced marshal in the middle of her young Tuks team, so Smidt didn’t hesitate and welcomed the reunion with her junior coach on a loan deal for the rest of the season. AmaTuks had four victories in nine outings when she joined in April, but Sunday’s victory was their ninth in 16 games, keeping them comfortably inside the top six.

"I think when you're enjoying yourself, that's the best version of yourself. I'm glad to be at Tuks, I'm glad to contribute to the team. It's a great group of girls, with great potential, a young team," Smidt expressed. 

"[I'm] happy to have that belief from the coaches, from the girls. They also believe in me [and] they can see that I can give the team something. I'm happy to be at Tuks and I think it's evident in the performances."

Is it enough though to grab Desiree Ellis’ attention? For now, yes, it is. 

After her surprise omission from Banyana’s final international fixture against Serbia in April before the FIFA Women’s World Cup camp, the 25-year-old has ticked at least one box. 

Ellis has included her in the preliminary 36-member squad for the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in July, along with Tuks teammates goalkeeper Asa Rabalao and forward Wendy Shongwe. 

She was expectedly coy when SABC Sport enquired whether this was a plan coming together.

“That’s out of my control. Is it something I would like [to make the final squad]? Yes, [but] I’m a very spiritual person, and I’ll do what I can, the rest is up to God," she said in a measured response. 

"For me, it’s to be playing regularly and enjoying my football again. You never know [if it's enough], there’s always room for improvement. What I can do is keep on working hard. At the end of the day, it’s up to the coach to decide if it’s enough."

Banyana’s provisional squad will assemble for camp in Johannesburg on 12 June and it will not be long before Smidt is put out of her misery.

“Obviously, [to be in the final 26 for the World Cup] it’s something that I want, but it’s not something that, if it doesn’t come, is the end of the world,” she concluded.