It looked like a merry Sunday stroll for Andries Jonker in Moore Park at lunchtime. The coach of the Netherlands women’s national team strolled across the lawn of Sydney Football Stadium, stopping every now and then to hug someone. The favorite Netherlands prevailed 2-0 against outsiders South Africa in the World Cup Round of 16. Which is not a matter of course in this tournament.
The former Bundesliga coach of FC Bayern and VfL Wolfsburg (both men) later admitted in the basement of the multifunctional arena that the elimination of Germany and Brazil had made him a little more vigilant. “I never would have believed it and I didn’t expect it either,” said the 60-year-old. Jonker also wanted to comment on Germany that German women’s football looks “healthy” to him, only: “You can’t always win.”
The “Oranje Leuwinnen” have not yet lost in this tournament under his direction, which prompted Jonker to announce before the quarter-finals against Spain (Friday 3 a.m. CEST) in Wellington, New Zealand: “We have the quality to beat Spain too.” He confidently promised his suspended top performer Danielle van de Donk that he would play in the game after next – which would be the semifinals.
Goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar is named player of the match
The 40,233 spectators in Sydney felt well entertained, only Jonker curbed his emotions. “It’s my job to analyze everything calmly, but once I took my hands out of my pockets and jumped up.” That happened in Lineth Beerenstyn’s 2-0 lead (68′), when the former FC Bayern attacker benefited from a mistake made by South African goalkeeper Caylin Swart, who hit the ground with her fists after her faux pas. Her opponent was in a better mood. Outstanding goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar, 23, scooped the Player of the Match award. “She’s developed really well,” said Jonker. His entire ensemble, on the other hand, wobbled alarmingly from time to time despite Jill Roord’s early lead (9th).
“It’s unacceptable that our national players still have to work from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.,” says South Africa’s coach
South African striker Thembi Kgatlana in particular was a constant source of trouble. Your trainer Desiree Ellis now wants to do everything in his power to ensure that the players receive the FIFA bonus of $60,000 for reaching the round of 16: “They deserve it 100 percent.” At home, many people got up early, Ellis said enthusiastically, to support “Banyana Banyana”.
In the press conference, the 60-year-old took on the responsibility of her own government and the local sponsors to finally ensure that a professional women’s league could develop in the Cape. “I don’t know how you can still ignore that. It can’t be that our international players still have to work from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m..” South Africa would like to host the 2027 World Cup and is considered in Fifa circles to be no less a promising candidate than the triple bid from Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium.