‘What a legacy she leaves behind’ – Ellis pays tribute to Seoposenwe

South Africa women’s national team coach Desiree Ellis has sung the praise of forward Jermaine Seoposenwe who quit playing for the national team after their final CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco.

The final whistle, but your legacy plays on. 🇿🇦

Thank you, Jermaine Seoposenwe. ❤️#TotalEnergiesWAFCON2024 pic.twitter.com/uRQYWGuiT0

— CAF Women’s Football (@CAFwomen) July 25, 2025

Seoposenwe’s 15-year journey with Banyana Banyana came to an end after the penalty shootout against Ghana in the third-place playoff on Friday. Seoposenwe, who was born in Cape Town, was the first female to score a goal for South Africa at a World Cup in 2010 and has since grown into a crucial member for the Banyana Banyana.

“What a legacy she leaves behind! I have known Jermaine since the age of 15. She went to the 2010 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup in Trinidad and Tobago, scored our first goal at the World Cup for a women’s team. And in that same year, she played at the WAFCON in 2010 in South Africa,” said Ellis as quoted by CAFOnline.com.

“Two years later, she played at the London 2012 Olympics and then she played at the WAFCON 2012 in Equatorial Guinea. She was part of that squad that beat Nigeria in the semifinals where she got the silver medal at the age of 19! It says something about Jermaine.

“Two successive World Cups, two successive Olympic Games, 2018 silver at the WAFCON, 2022 African champion, 2023 World Cup Round of 16 but there is so, so, so much to Jermaine. A fighter, a leader and someone who gave everything to take this team forward.

“I don’t think we can thank her enough, but we honour her, and we carry her spirit with us. And to be honest, I don’t think we have enough words to say thank you to Jermaine for everything that she’s done. She’s always stepped onto the field, gave her all on the field and that is who Jermaine is. Leaving everything out there, stepping up in 2022 when Thembi [Kgatlana] got injured after not being part of the team for a long while due to visa issues and that is who Jermaine is.”

Seoposenwe, who features for CF Monterrey in the Mexican topflight league, will continue featuring at club level.