Portia Modise: I could have played in the PSL

Former Banyana Banyana captain Portia Modise has explained why she believes if given the chance, she could have been one of the best players in the PSL.

Modise is one of the greatest footballing talents, male or female, to come out of the African soil. In fact, If numbers are anything to go by, she stands head and shoulders above any African player.

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The Soweto-born former star boasts 102 goals for Banyana, the highest tally by any African player in both male and female categories. In 2005, Modise was nominated for the Women's' FIFA Player of the Year award and won Player of the Championship at the 2006 Women's African Football Championship.

With all the accolades to back it up, the 40-year-old believes she could have made the cut in the PSL.

"I think for the fact that I played with the likes of Gift Leremi, I played with 'Yeye' [Reneilwe] Letsholonyane, you know, most guys that are successful, I played with them and that's when I knew that I need to be successful," Modise said on the Jabu Mahlangu Diski Shandis podcast.

"But I knew that if they ever said they don't consider the gender [in the PSL], there are too many players I see trapping the ball with their shin.

"I was like, If I was given a chance, let me tell you, I was going to be a game-changer, because I still play with the likes of Jabu [Mahlangu] (five-a-side), and I enjoy whenever I enter the field and I hear opposition players saying, 'Hey, Portia thinks this is Banyana'.

"Give me the ball and you'll understand it's got nothing to do with Banyana Banyana, it's got nothing to do with being a woman, it's about the talent. They struggle to take the ball [from me].

"So, I can imagine at that point when I was still in my peak, still dreaming and still trying to achieve something, and they let me play against the gents? I would have played with Jabu, with 'Tsiki-Tsiki' (Thabo Mooki), somewhere there. I had that flair."

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It's not the first time Modise has shared such a sentiment. In 2018, the 2014 SA Sports Star of the Year landed in somewhat hot water, particularly with the Orlando Pirates faithful, after claiming she could bench Thamsanqa Gabuza, back then at Bucs, during an interview on Radio2000.

"When I watch the PSL, there are some players I can replace. I can bench Gabuza," stated 'Bash'. 

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