Banyana Banyana are well on their way to having another successful showing at the upcoming Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. With the showpiece less than a month away from kicking off in Morocco coach, Desiree Ellis and her team are putting the finishing touches on their preparations as they set their sights on retaining the title they won in 2022.
Three Nations Series give Banyana a chance to iron out the creases
South Africa recorded back-to-back victories over Botswana and Zambia in the #ThreeNations friendly series as the final leg of their WAFCON preparations. The African queens showed what they’re capable of in a 3-2 win over Botswana where they raced into a 3-0 lead in the first half. They took their foot off the gas in that clash, nearly allowing Botswana back into the contest but that showing will serve as a reference point on how to see out results. They followed that up with a much more polished performance in a 2-0 win over Zambia in the final fixture, with Ellis much happier with her side’s game management.
Ellis has an array of options at her disposal
The victories over Botswana and Zambia afforded the Banyana coach to assess her squad depth while handing opportunities to player who have been knocking on the door for regular place. Indeed, Ellis has her core group of players but she is no stranger to selecting players who she feels could make an impact when called on at any moment during the continental showpiece. Last month, the Banyana coach named a provisional squad of 46 players which was cut down to 28 earlier in June with that group to head into camp in Johannesburg on the 19 th of June. Ellis will then select her final WAFCON squad on June 23 but unfortunately won’t be able to call on Thembi Kgatlana who is unavailable due to personal reasons.
Banyana forward announces she’ll retire after WAFCON
A major cog in Banyana’s attacking wheel, Jermaine Seoposenwe, announced that she will retire from the international game at the conclusion of the tournament in Morocco. The South African striker will bring an end to her 15-year-long career, having debuted as a teenager in 2010 and turning out for the national team more than 100 times to date. She’s appeared at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, the FIFA Women’s World Cup and she was also part of the WAFCON-winning team three years ago so she’ll be hoping to sign off from international football with more silverware.
SA’s WAFCON campaign and fixtures
Ellis and her final squad will jet off to Morocco at the end of the month and will be based in Oujda for the group stage. South Africa are in Group C alongside Ghana, Tanzania and Mali where the defending champions will be a team with a big target on their backs. Banyan begin their campaign against Ghana on July 7 th at the Honneur Stadium in Oujda. They’ll then turn their attention to Tanzania on the 11 th of July before closing out the group stage against Mali on July 14.
