Reggae Girlz taught Banyana important lessons ahead of WAFCON

IN A WEEK defined by challenges, Banyana Banyana demonstrated resilience and a commitment to development, even as they faced disappointing results in their two-match tour of Jamaica.

The South African senior women's football team, under the guidance of head coach Desiree Ellis, concluded their trip with a hard-fought 3-2 loss on Tuesday morning, following an earlier 3-0 defeat to the Reggae Girlz just days before.

Despite the back-to-back defeats, coach Ellis remains optimistic about the lessons learned during the tour.

“We had a couple of players from our COSAFA squad who just made their debuts; everybody played today apart from the third-choice goalkeeper, and I think that’s a worthwhile exercise,” she noted.

These matches were the last for the team this year, as they shift focus to preparing for the upcoming Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in 2024. The second clash against Jamaica saw an improved performance from Banyana, demonstrating the coach's strategic adjustments in both formation and personnel.

Banyana took an early lead when Linda Motlhalo scored a well-constructed goal in the 19th minute. Banyana dominated the first half, heading into the break with a 1-0 advantage.

However, the resilient Jamaicans responded after half-time, equalising in the 58th minute and taking the lead moments later with a goal from Drew Spence.

The home side extended their lead further in the 76th minute, making it 3-1. In a spirited finale, Amogelang Motau scored a second goal for Banyana in the dying moments, but it was not enough to secure a draw.

Reflecting on the tour, Ellis emphasised the importance of player testing and adaptability within her squad.

"We want to win matches but we also want to test players at this level, and I think we are happy with the tests because our core group is bigger," she explained.

The coach highlighted the challenges posed by travel and time zone adjustments, particularly during the first match, which she noted impacted the team's performance.

Coach Ellis expressed pride in her team's adaptability, noting, “This team is very unpredictable and adapted to formations because we can change formations without needing a training session because we’ve played this before.”

Her sentiments underline her strategic approach towards developing a more resilient and versatile squad in the lead-up to the WAFCON. Banyana know they will face Ghana, Tanzania and Mali in the group stages of the WAFCON scheduled to be held between the 5th to the 17th of July in Morocco.

Ellis outlined how the next couple of months look like for her squad as they look to recreate similar challenges to those they expect to be posed by the three nations in their group.

“We will go back to work while everyone is on holiday and look for games because we have available dates in the upcoming month,” she said

“We know the draw now so we know who we are preparing for so we’ll be working towards that and also hopefully get some of our injured players and those that weren’t available.’