01 December – South Africa’s women’s football sponsor, Sasol, congratulates veteran Banyana Banyana striker, Portia Modise for winning the Sports Star of the year award at the SA Sports Awards ceremony held at the Sandton Convention Centre, on Sunday evening, 30 November.

Modise was the only female athlete nominated in the category together with Ernst van Dyk, Chad le Clos, Khotso Mokoena, AB de Villiers and Duane Vermeulen.

She is the first footballer on the African continent and 14^th player worldwide to have ever scored 100 goals in international football. What makes this feat more remarkable is that she achieved this in only 117 matches for Sasol Banyana Banyana.

“Bashin” as she is affectionately called for her goal scoring exploits, has truly lived-up to her nickname.

“We are proud of Portia’s achievement; she is one of Banyana Banyana’s longest serving players. Her hard work, commitment and love for football has seen her reach this great milestone and the great achievement of being named the SA Sports Star of the Year 2014,” said Dumisani Mbokane, Sasol Sponsorship Specialist.

In another development at the same occasion, Noko Matlou was honoured on the night and received the Minister’s Special Recognition Award for reaching 100 caps in national team colours.  

Sasol Banyana Banyana also received the Minister’s Award for qualifying for the 2014 African Women’s Championship that took place in Namibia in October this year, where they narrowly missed out on the World Cup qualification.

“It has been a great year for our women’s senior national team, even though we missed out on the World Cup qualification, women’s football has grown tremendously in the past six years and this is due to Sasol’s partnership with SAFA to grow the women’s game,” Mbokane concluded.

ENDS.