Antonia Maponya balancing Navy career with Banyana Banyana’s World Cup play-off mission

Antonia Maponya says she is content to maintain her demanding dual career as she prepares to help Banyana Banyana face Nigeria in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations play-offs.

The South Africa international works full-time for the SA Navy before reporting for football training with her club, University of the Western Cape (UWC), later in the day.

Her routine starts with a 7am shift and finishes at 4pm. At 4.30pm, she heads straight to training, leaving little time for rest between her professional responsibilities and football commitments.

Maponya completed her Human Resource qualification at UWC in 2021 and then spent eight months undergoing Navy training in 2022. During that period, she took a break from football.

Although she has managed to combine the two careers, Maponya says the arrangement requires considerable support from those around her. Family, friends, colleagues and team-mates all help her cope with the demands, while Sunday is usually her only day available for recovery.

Even that solitary rest day can feel too short.

The Chief of the SA Navy, Vice Admiral Monde Lobese, has praised Maponya’s commitment and described her as an example of dedication. He highlighted her achievements during Women’s Month, as Banyana Banyana competed at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

“During Women’s Month, her achievements serve as a powerful example of how young women and girls can serve, lead, and excel at the highest level,” he stated in a statement.

Maponya’s tournament campaign was mixed. South Africa reached the quarter-finals but were eventually eliminated, leaving the midfielder with disappointment alongside a sense of pride at representing her country.

Despite that result, she says her current way of life reflects the choices she made and the ambitions she has for herself. Speaking from the Banyana Banyana base in Casablanca yesterday morning, Maponya said she was not looking to abandon the balance between football and her long-term career.

“I think it’s a matter of what I want for myself,” Maponya said from the Banyana base in Casablanca yesterday morning. “The life I’m living now is the one I chose, and I’m happy with it. I’d rather keep it this way.”

“I have my job for the next 33 years. If I chose to play professional football exclusively, I would have to stop at a young age. I want a life that challenges me forever. I have structured my life to maintain a balance between sport and corporate life.”

There have been calls for women’s football in South Africa to become fully professional, but Maponya believes the current structure suits her. She has occasionally found the progress she has made difficult to believe, although she feels her effort has earned the opportunities she now has.

“Sometimes I do pinch myself,” she admitted. “I think to myself that I’ve worked so hard, and I deserve this.”

A move overseas could create a difficult decision if it required her to leave the Navy, but Maponya says relocating within South Africa would be more manageable because of the defence force’s national structure.

“The defence force has branches in every province,” Maponya explained. “HR roles are everywhere. If I moved to Gauteng, I could work at the headquarters in Pretoria; if I moved to KZN, I could work in Durban. It’s just a matter of securing permission to be stationed where I am playing. It’s flexible.”

That adaptability will also be required from Banyana Banyana when they meet Nigeria at the Moulay Rachid Stadium in Casablanca today, with kick-off scheduled for 10pm.

South Africa missed out on direct qualification for next year’s World Cup in Brazil and must now defeat Nigeria in the continental play-off to keep their hopes alive. It is the most challenging route to the tournament, but victory would put Banyana Banyana into the inter-continental play-offs.

The prospect of facing familiar rivals, the Super Falcons, has given the squad an added incentive as they attempt to recover from their quarter-final disappointment.

“Going into tonight’s game, we are reflecting on our previous matches to identify what needs fixing,” Maponya said. “We need to analyse our mistakes and emphasise the positives.”

“I always say things happen for a reason. Some people take two steps to reach a destination, while others take 10. We need to focus on what’s directly in front of us; this is the route we must take.”