In the first match of two friendly fixtures schedule against the USA, the Sasol-sponsored Banyana Banyana went down 3-0 in a crazy 10-minute goal blitz on Friday (22 September 2023) at the TQL Stadium in Cincinnati.
This was the third meeting between the two nations and as many losses for South Africa – they are also yet to score against the Stars and Stripes.
The score line is also the mirror image of the 2019 defeat in their last encounter, while they had lost 1-0 in the first match up in 2016. They have conceded seven against the USA in three outings.
Banyana Banyana head coach Desiree Ellis made three changes to the starting 11 that lost 2-0 to the Netherlands in the Round of 16 at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand last month.
The South Africans were without five key players – Refiloe Jane, Bambanani Mbane, Sibulele Holweni (all three injured), Hilda Magaia (medical reasons) and Noko Matlou (passport and Visa issues).
So the trio of Tiisetso Makhubela, Gabriela Salgado and Noxolo Cesane got a start in place of Matlou, Mbane, and Magaia – while Jermaine Seoposenwe, Lebohang Ramalepe and Kholosa Biyana are the only three players that also started in the last meeting in 2019.
The USA used this match to bid farewell to Julie Ertz after a decade of national team football – she announced her retirement in August. She got to start against Banyana Banyana and was subbed in the 34th minute.
South Africa’ best chance of the match came in the 15th minute when forward, and captain on the day, Thembi Kgatlana rounded USA goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher but could not control the ball as it went over the line for a corner.
The African Champions held their own in the opening half an hour but found themselves trailing in the 32nd minute when Lindsay Horan’s corner found Lynn Williams who slotted the ball in despite attempts by defender Lebohang Ramalepe to kick it out – she managed to do so, but Mexican referee Katia Garcia awarded a goal to the USA, saying it had crossed the goal line.
While the South Africans were still trying to regroup, the home side increased their lead two minutes later – Alex Morgan’s perfect pass finding Trinity Rodman who hit the back of the net.
Four minutes before the recess, it was game, set and match as Williams scored her brace for a 3-0 half time lead.
Both sides made several changes in the second half, but the tempo of the game dropped and the score line remained the same.
“I think we were really well organized and created a couple of chances too. We always speak about picking up, and if you look at the first goal we didn’t pick up, you look at the second goal we were marking on the wrong side. And the second goal came very quickly after the first goal and even the third one we didn’t pick up, and those are moments or maybe lapses of concentration,” Ellis told SAFA.net
“It’s only the first time that Bongeka and Tiisetso played together as pairing, and it takes a little while to gel, but I thought first 30 minutes we were really good. As I said lapses of concentration, we created chances here and there tried to fix it at half time and came back a little bit better. We still created a little bit of chances, but I thought we ended the game really well. Not the result we wanted but there’s certain things that we were looking at, and I think defensively we could have been a little bit better organised. But it was a brave performance from the team considering the personnel we don’t have.”
In the South African line-up, Gabby Salgado made way for Nomvula Kgoale, with Wendy Shongwe coming in for Noxolo Cesane, and the duo of Fikile Magama and Melinda Kgadiete checked in for Karabo Dhlamini and Thembi Kgatlana respectively.
There was still time for Sinoxolo Cesane to make her debut at senior level after appearances in the U17 and U20 level. She took the place of Kholosa Biyana in the 89th minute.
The African Champions and the four-time World Champions meet again for round two on Sunday, 24 September at Soldier Fields in Chicago.
“It’s a quick turnaround for the second game but we will recover in time. I hope the fans saw what it is that we were trying to do. We also try to give others an opportunity to be able to test them and to see what they can do, and more players will get game time in the second game. Sometimes you lose a match but there are still positives to take out of it and there’s are a lot of positives,” added Ellis.
MATCH SUMMARY:
Match: United States Women’s National Team vs. South Africa
Date: 21 September 2023
Competition: International Friendly
Venue: TQL Stadium; Cincinnati, Ohio
Attendance: 22,016
Scoring Summary:
USA – Lynn Williams – 32’
USA – Trinity Rodman – 34’
USA – Lynn Williams – 41’
Here is how they lined up:
USA:
1-Alyssa Naeher; 19-Crystal Dunn (5-M.A. Vignola, 46), 4-Naomi Girma, 11-Alana Cook, 23-Emily Fox (20-Casey Krueger, 77); 8-Julie Ertz (17-Andi Sullivan, 36), 14-Emily Sonnett, 10-Lindsey Horan (2-Ashley Sanchez, 62); 6-Lynn Williams, 13-Alex Morgan (7-Ashley Hatch, 62), 25-Trinity Rodman (9-Alyssa Thompson, 77)
Substitutes not used: 18-Casey Murphy, 21-Aubrey Kingsbury, 12-Tierna Davidson, 22-Savannah DeMelo, 26-Jaedyn Shaw, 27-Sam Coffey
INTERIM HEAD COACH: TWILA KILGORE
South Africa:
1-Kaylin Swart (GK); 2-Lebohang Ramalepe, 3-Bongeka Gamede, 6-Noxolo Cesane (23-Wendy Shongwe, 72), 7-Karabo Dhlamini (5-Fikile Magama, 81), 9-Gabriela Salgado (22-Nomvula Kgoale, 46), 10-Linda Motlhalo, 11-Thembi Kgatlana (Capt.) (17-Melinda Kgadiete, 82), 12-Jermaine Seoposenwe, 14-Tiisetso Makhubela, 19-Kholosa Biyana (13-Sinoxolo Cesane, 89)
Substitutes not used: 16-Andile Dlamini (GK), 21-Kebotseng Moletsane (GK), 4-Faith Owusu, 15-Lonathemba Mhlongo, 20-Robyn Moodaly
HEAD COACH: DESIREE ELLIS
Match Officials:
| TITLE | NAME | COUNTRY |
| Referee | Katia Garcia | MEXICO |
| Assistant Referee 1: | Enedina Caudillo | MEXICO |
| Assistant Referee 2: | Karen Diaz | MEXICO |
| Fourth Official | Kelsey Harms | USA |
By Matlhomola Morake
