“My greatest desire is to earn that one cap and then gracefully retire.”

When Nompumelelo Nyandeni uttered these words to SABC Sport in January 2024, she had not played for Banyana Banyana in about five years, and at 36, it appeared her international career was over.

Nyandeni, who’s now 37, would have retired as the third most capped Banyana Banyana player with 149 caps, behind Janine van Wyk (185 caps) and Noko Matlou (175).

There was a strong burning desire, however, for Nyandeni to make it to 150, and since her last Banyana Banyana appearance in 2019, she’s finally on the verge of making her dream a reality.

Nyandeni is in the squad to play Malawi in two international friendlies over the next few days, starting on Saturday, 5 April, at the University of Johannesburg’s Soweto campus.

“It is my final dance. I have represented Banyana over the years, and I am happy that coach Desiree Ellis called me for this camp,” says Nyandeni, as quoted by TimesLive.

“I have been waiting for six years for this opportunity. My last game for Banyana was in 2019. I did not give up, but I continued playing for JVW so I am ready for whenever the coach calls me.”

Nyandeni, who arrived on the international scene at just 15 years old, was part of the Banyana Banyana team that qualified for the 2012 Olympics but was disappointed to miss out on the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

“I was also part of the team that qualified for the World Cup, but unfortunately I did not go to the tournament. That was the saddest part of my career, but we move on,” adds Nyandeni.

Talking about moving on, Matlou, 39, will officially retire from international football after the friendlies against Malawi.