Refiloe Jane, 31, is a professional football player who captains the national team, Banyana Banyana. She also plays for the Sassuolo Football Club in Italy. Refiloe was the first player to play for a top team in the Italian Series 1 League and the only South African player to play for AC Milan. She has represented South Africa at the Olympics, the Fifa World Cup and other big tournaments.
Refiloe says one of her achievements she is most proud of is winning the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations under her captaincy. The other highlights in her life include being nominated for the SA Sports Star Awards and getting recognition from President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The footballer is also the founder of the Refiloe Jane Outreach and the Refiloe Jane Foundation, which are organisations that are aimed at giving back to less advantaged peolpe and to promote football development at grassroots levels. The organisations donate shoes, food, school resources and sports kits to primary schools. She told the Italian organisation Gariwo: “I saw how young people in my community didn’t get opportunities to grow. Many things seemed far-fetched for them. So I realised we could try to bring these opportunities closer to them, giving them the hope they needed.”
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Being the first South African player to sign with AC Milan and representing my country on such a big stage. Being selected as the captain for the national team and leading my team mates at the Fifa World Cup and winning the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations under my captaincy.