The former Banyana Banyana assistant coach and technical analyst Shilene Booysen has been scooped up by the giants of Egyptian women’s football, the 13-time champion Wadi Degla.
Booysen confirmed her appointment exclusively to No Bones with Jones on Tuesday after she signed a one-year contract with the option to extend for another year.
“We have been talking since just after the World Cup,” Booysen told our website. “But my agent deals with all of these contractual matters. There were several offers on the table, but this was a good fit,” said Booysen who also served as the technical advisor for Banyana’s coach Desiree Ellis at the recent World Cup.
The Bonteheuwel-born Booysen also becomes the first female SA coach to be appointed in the land of the Pharaohs.
Needless to say, she follows in the footsteps of her male compatriot and counterpart, Pitso
Mosimane has become a household name in Egypt with Al Ahly and is flying the flag for Mzansi.
“He (Pitso) is such a huge role model of mine, why not,” Booysen added further. “Actually if I look at the Wadi Degla heritage, honestly. They have a million members in all areas of sports. I mean, there are some countries that have less people,” said Booysen who previously coached at South Sudan and had a stint in the USA.
Booysen, a go-getter by nature with extremely high standards, conceded that she can be her own nemesis as well due to the fact that she has high expectations.
“We have some great people in the club, a top-quality Sporting Director who is already supporting me tremendously,” Booysen concluded.
