Head Coach of the Sasol-sponsored Banyana Banyana, Desiree Ellis, hasn’t forgotten how South Africa was dumped out of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic qualifiers by neighbours Botswana in 2019.
This as the African champions assemble and leave the country on Sunday, 22 October 2023 for a clash against the Democratic Republic of Congo on Wednesday, 25 October in Kinshasa.
Ellis has found it difficult to put together a team due to various factors – exams, injuries, travel documents.
She is already without the injured Refiloe Jane, Bambanani Mbane and Sibulele Holweni.
Noko Matlou is not available as she is still sorting out her residence permit in Spain, while Jermaine Seoposenwe has been called up but may not be available for the away leg due to travel documents. Robyn Moodaly is not among the travelling party after announcing that she is stepping aside from the national team to take care of her mental well-being.
The three-time African Woman Coach of the Year has announced an enlarged squad of 25 players to deal with the challenges facing her.
Defenders Bongeka Gamede and Fikile Magama (both UWC) will only be able to play one match each due to exams, while the Shamase twin sisters – Sphumelele and Thubelihle (both UJ Ladies) – as well as Nthabiseng Majiya (Richmond United), were not considered for the same reason.
Ellis has called up long-serving defender Janine van Wyk (JVW), who has announced her retirement from the national team after the two qualifiers, which will enable her to become the most capped Africa footballer – male or female – on the continent with 185 appearances for country, just one more than Egypt’s Ahmed Hassan who has held the record for 11 years (since 27 March 2012).
Van Wyk made her Banyana Banyana debut in 2005 against Nigeria in the then African Women’s Championship (now known as the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations).
The defender scored the solitary goal in that match with a powerful free, helping South Africa record their first ever victory over the West Africans.
Along with van Wyk, Ellis has named six other players who were not part of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup squad – Lonathemba Mhlongo, Amogelang Motau (both UWC), Samkelisiwe Selana, Nicole Michael (both TS Galaxy Queens), Ayesha Moosa (UJ Ladies) and the uncapped Faith Nokuthula (Blackburn Rovers, England).
ASANDA HADEBE (Sunflower WFC) is the only player from the Sasol League that has been called up. The defender played in the recent 2023 Hollywoodbets COSAFA Women’s Championship, together with Moosa, Mhlongo, Michael, Selana and goalkeeper Kebotseng Moletsane.
The return leg is scheduled for Monday, 30 October at Orlando Stadium in Soweto, with a 15h00 kickoff. Entry is free and tickets can be collected at the stadium.
Ellis addressed the media on various matters following the squad announcement held in Bloemfontein.
On the difficulty of selecting the team:
It was extremely difficult but we’ve got a core group and a group of players that when we can go to when we select a squad and see what is needed – it’s not just the exams, it’s the injuries as well that has really now showed what our depth is, but I think we’ve got a well-balanced squad, I think we have enough but we will not will not underestimate DR Congo.
Lessons learnt from the Botswana clash four years that knocked South Africa out of Olympic qualifiers:
We got some footage of their (DR Congo) game against Benin, and we know what their strengths are. And yes, in that game against Botswana – and I think if we had scored one goal it would have been 3w2aqfive, six or even more. We have to make sure that we take our chances. I think this team is really grown since then, I think the team has matured since then, but being African champions it’s like a final for anyone that plays against you. So, we have to make sure that we are really professional about it, and we make sure that we put the game to bed as early as possible so that we can control the game. I think having the players that we have we can get a positive result because the first game, away from home, we have to make sure that we get a positive result to make that home leg much easier.
How confident are you that you will get the desired result?
Players like the Shamase twins (Sphumelele and Thubelihle) are writing exams, Nthabiseng Majiya is in Matric (Grade 12) and also writing exams, and Sinoxolo Cesane is doing her final semester (USA), and they were all not considered. But the others that we have – Bongeka Gamede is not available for the first leg, she writes exams on the 26th, Fikile Magama is not available for the second leg because she writes exams on matchday, but we are confident that we have enough in our squad to be able to get the results over the two legs.
Approach to the game:
We have a lot of good attacking players and I think they (DR Congo) will be very weary of that as well. We watched them play the two games against Benin, like I said they go with the same game plan, and we will exploit that, but we also know what their strengths are, and we have to make sure that we take control of the game. I think the first 20 minutes for us will be key, to make sure that we don’t concede, to see what it is that they have because you see a game on footage, but you don’t see it wide, to be able to see a little bit more. So, we’re going to make sure that we give much information to the players and make sure that this is the game plan.
On the away goal rule
I think it’s huge, if we get away with a positive result, I think we can make the home leg much easier and that for us that is important – as when we played Botswana, we didn’t get that away goal, and we have to make sure that we get that away goal or goals.
Keeping cool heads in the first big assignment after the World Cup
It is very important, but I think we have the experience. We have the likes of Thembi, Kholosa, Kaylin, Andile – these are players that will make sure that the young ones around them keep a cool head and making them understand how important this game is. Asanda (Hadebe) has come back into the team, but she’s already played against Brazil, Fikile Magama has already played in the World Cup, so we have that little bit of experience amongst the younger group of players.
Janine back in the fold since September 2022
She reached out and said she was going to retire from international football, and I think if you look at what Janine has done, not just for the national team but for woman’s football in the country, I think it’s only fair that she gets her flowers. It’s the first player under my tenure that says they’re going to retire, normally we drop a player, and they just disappear. After watching the USA and see how they honour their legends, I think it’s only right that we do the same for our legends who mention or reach out to say they’re going to retire. It’s important that we say thank you, it’s important that we say thank you for the work that they put in, for that effort that they have put in. Janine has led the team with aplomb for so many years, wore her heart on the sleeve – she was always someone that never ever gave up but obviously as I said earlier, we will not compromise the result because it’s important, but we also want to give a fantastic sendoff.
We want to make sure, it’s first getting the result, first getting the win. I could speak about the record – it’s not just for her but I think it’s for women’s football, I think it’s for the South African Football Association. Wouldn’t it be fantastic for South African football and women’s football on the continent to be able to get that record as well, but it’s the result first before anything else.
Overseas-based joining camp:
We assemble on Sunday, 22 October and leave in the evening, the game is on the 25th and we fly back immediately to prepare for the home leg on the 30th. With regards to the overseas-based players, Faith Nokuthula will join us from Blackburn, Linda Motlhalo will come from Scotland, unfortunately Noko again has residence permit issues, it takes a little bit longer for her. We are hopeful that Jermaine will get hers on time to be able to play the home leg. Thembi and Hilda are already in the country, so it really augurs well for us that these players will all available, that would really be helpful to us.
Having Hildah back after missing out on the USA trip
She is coming back fresh, I had a couple of conversations with her and she is really looking forward to the game. She is already in South Africa and our conditioning coach has given her a program to make sure. She recently played a game amongst boys, which is fantastic. So, we are really looking forward to having her back as well.
On Robyn Moodaly stepping aside for her mental well-being
I had a chat with her and she’s stepping aside, not retiring, just stepping aside to work on her mental well-being. As I said before, social media is not kind, we’re not saying don’t criticize but I think we should all take care about what we’re saying because it’s someone’s sister, someone’s daughter, someone’s cousin, and we should take care of some of the things that we say because mental health is real – people have committed suicide because of mental health, so we will give her as much support as we can and we will make sure that she is ready to enjoy football again.
BANYANA BANYANA SQUAD TO FACE DR CONGO IN THE OLYMPIC QUALIFIERS:
| GOALKEEPERS: | ||
| ANDILE DLAMINI | MAMELODI SUNDOWNS LADIES | GAUTENG |
| KAYLIN SWART | JVW FC | GAUTENG |
| KEBOTSENG MOLETSANE | ROYAL AM | KWAZULU NATAL |
| DEFENDERS: | ||
| KARABO DHLAMNI | MAMELODI SUNDOWNS LADIES | GAUTENG |
| FIKILE MAGAMA | UWC LADIES | WESTERN CAPE |
| JANINE VAN WYK | JVW FC | GAUTENG |
| FAITH NOKUTHULA | BLACKBURN ROVERS | ENGLAND |
| ASANDA HADEBE | SUNFLOWERS FC | KWAZULU NATAL |
| TIISETSO MAKHUBELA | MAMELODI SUNDOWNS LADIES | GAUTENG |
| LONATHEMBA MHLONGO | UWC LADIES | WESTERN CAPE |
| BONGEKA GAMEDE | UWC LADIES | WESTERN CAPE |
| MIDFIELDERS: | ||
| LINDA MOTLHALO | GLASGOW CITY FC | SCOTLAND |
| KHOLOSA BIYANA | MAMELODI SUNDOWNS LADIES | GAUTENG |
| NOMVULA KGOALE | TS GALAXY QUEENS | MPUMALANGA |
| AMOGELANG MOTAU | UWC LADIES | WESTERN CAPE |
| AYESHA MOOSA | UJ LADIES | GAUTENG |
| FORWARDS: | ||
| NICOLE MICHAEL | TS GALAXY QUEENS | MPUMALANGA |
| NOXOLO CESANE | UWC LADIES | GAUTENG |
| GABRIELA SALGADO | JVW FC | GAUTENG |
| MELINDA KGADIETE | MAMELODI SUNDOWNS LADIES | GAUTENG |
| WENDY SHONGWE | UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA | GAUTENG |
| HILDAH MAGAIA | SEJONG SPORTSTOTO | SOUTH KOREA |
| THEMBI KGATLANA | RACING LOUISVILLE | USA |
| SAMKELISIWE SELANA | TS GALAXY QUEENS | GAUTENG |
| JERMAINE SEOPOSENWE | CF MONTERREY | MEXICO |
By Matlhomola Morake
