Banyana Banyana legend Noko Matlou calls on players to speak out for change

Daily Maverick

25-04-2025

Noko Matlou is one of the trailblazers when it comes to women's soccer in Africa. After retiring from Banyana Banyana duty this year, she is happy with the growth of the team, but yearns for more improvement administratively.
South African soccer legend Noko Matlou has seen and won it all during a particularly memorable career. The 39-year-old recently called time on her international career, although she aims to continue with club soccer for a few more years before officially walking away from the sport she has given so much to.
Matlou's love for soccer was not always reciprocated by the game. She comes from the generation of Banyana Banyana players who paid to play soccer out of their own pockets, instead of being played to play the sport like their male counterparts.
Of course, while this remains a reality for many female South African soccer players at domestic level (as they juggle full-time jobs with playing the game they love), at national team level there have been drastic improvements towards parity in the treatment of Bafana Bafana and Banyana Banyana.
However, some improvements are still required. Recently, some Banyana players were left frustrated by the venue chosen for Matlou's farewell match, a friendly encounter with Malawi on 5 April 2025.
The match was taken to the University of Johannesburg's Soweto Campus, a decent venue, but definitely not one fit for the reigning African champions to play on. The wet and soggy weather on the day further deteriorated the condition of the pitch.
Even in the build-up to the 2023 World Cup, where Banyana Banyana reached the round of 16 for the first time, the players boycotted a friendly match against Botswana because they refused to play at the Tsakane Stadium.
The players rightly pointed out that it was not up to international standards and the risk of injury on it was high. The South African Football Association (Safa) ignored their protests and instead had coach Desiree Ellis cobble together a random team sans the regulars in order to honour the fixture.
Speak out
Matlou, who was one of the most senior players in the national team until her retirement, says it's imperative for female footballers to never be afraid to speak out when they believe they are being treated unequally. It is the only way change will occur.
'When there is something that is happening behind the scenes, we need to talk about it. Because sometimes we are afraid of being victimised. And also, when you speak out, sometimes there are consequences,' Matlou said during a media engagement with the South African Football Journalists' Association.
The former African player of the year used what happened when Spain won the World Cup two years ago as an example of the change that standing one's ground can bring about.
Then Spanish Football Association president Luis Rubiales came under fire for kissing Spain player Jenni Hermoso (on the lips and without her consent) during the post-match celebrations. He has since been found guilty of sexual assault.
Matlou — who plays in Spain for Cacereño Femenino — says that since the incident, there has been much change in how people perceive women's soccer in her country of employment.
Matlou imagined a scenario in which Rubiales had not been caught on camera for the world to see his actions, where it would have been the word of the player against that of the president.
'What happened in the last World Cup for the senior team of Spain has changed a lot of things. As women, sometimes there are a lot of things that are happening behind the scenes that we don't want to talk about. Because if you talk about them, you're going to be a victim,' Matlou stated.
'So, it's a great thing when we can speak out. So that people can know what is happening. Because sometimes I can say, when something is happening behind the scenes, they will always protect whatever happened, so that it mustn't come out,' the stalwart defender said.
Matlou and players such as Portia Modise have created a platform for someone like current Banyana Banyana captain Thembi Kgatlana to be even more vocal than they were in fighting for equality, without fearing reprisal.
Despite retiring from Banyana Banyana and being nearly 40 years old, Matlou says she still has a few seasons left in her. Then she will decide what she wants to do post retirement. DM