HERMAN GIBBS
Banyana Banyana will be looking to end their Senegal sojourn on a winning note this evening in the second international friendly match at Stade Lat Dior in Thiès, a city some 70km away from the capital, Dakar (kick-off 7pm).
The South Africans are touring without seasoned campaigners like Jermaine Seoposenwe, Thembi Kgatlana, Refiloe Jane, Noko Matlou and Andile Dlamini. Their absence has allowed national women’s team coach Desiree Ellis to give several newcomers some game time in Senegal.
Ellis has her eye on the future as she sets about rebuilding the national team after they failed to qualify for the coming Fifa World Cup. Sides like Senegal will help the South African newbies learn to cope with the physicality and mental pressures of international competition.
The newcomers who impress in Senegal will likely crack invitations to squads which will prepare for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) later this year in Morocco.
Ellis will again field an untried combination this evening. She promised that the team would stick to the style of play used when they played Senegal on Saturday at the same venue.
Banyana Banyana midfielder Amogelang Motau said the two friendly internationals against Senegal are a wonderful opportunity to assess the national team’s future. The Limpopo-born player, who plays for the Safa Women’s League side UWC, is among the 23 players selected for the fixtures against the west Africans.
“There are new faces in the squad. That is a good thing since we’re starting a new rotation, hopefully to qualify for the 2027 Fifa Women’s World Cup,” said Motau.
“It’s good that we have new faces and more young players in the squad. I think now is the right time for the squad to do that, so this game will be another game to test us, help us grow and get chemistry as a team.
“Having 11 (of our best) players missing can be a good thing. It allows those who want to raise their hands, as the coach always says, to do so. I see it as a good opportunity for the new players.”
Last Saturday’s match was an eye-opener for Motau. She says her teammates should not try to match the 2022 Wafcon quarter-finalists physically, but instead again play their own passing game.
“Like most west African teams, they’re taller and stronger than us,” said Motau.
“We must not have a physical battle with them, but play the ball and rotate it on the floor. Hopefully, we can get the better of them by doing that and I think the team is well-prepared.”