Banyana Banyana start preparations for Morocco

Banyana Banyana start preparations for Morocco

The Sasol-sponsored Banyana Banyana wasted no time in getting down to business as they kickstarted preparations for the upcoming Africa Women’s Cup of Nations that will take place in Morocco from 2-23 July 2022.

The top four in that competition will represent the African continent at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

Head coach Desiree Ellis and her charges are eyeing their second successive qualification into the women’s world football showpiece – this after getting some experience in France in 2019.\

But first they will have negotiate the challenge from bitter rivals Nigeria, neighbours Botswana and east Africans Burundi after all four nations were drawn in Group C of the AWCON – the latter two countries are making their debut.

South Africa open their campaign in Morocco against the Super Falcons of Nigeria on July 4, followed by the clash against Burundi three days later (July 7) before concluding their group stage matches with a fixture against Botswana on July 10.

Banyana Banyana will be making their 12^th appearance at the women’s continental football showpiece, and are yet to lift the trophy.

The South Africans assembled for camp on Friday, 10 June after Ellis announced preliminary squad of 33-players, which included two new faces – Thubelihle Shamase and Cimone Sauls, who run out for Hollywoodbets Super League’s UJ Ladies FC and JVW FC respectively.

But they will be without the services of the influential Gabriela Salgado (JVW) who was withdrawn from the squad due to injury – her place has been taken by Rhoda Mulaudzi (Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies).

Banyana Banyana have had two training sessions since their arrival in camp.

“Yesterday (Saturday, 12 June) was obviously a startup session. We also had to take into consideration that a lot of them played on Wednesday and some on Saturday – while others played both days, so we’re trying to manage that load as well. We had an evening session, and it was a very good exercise. I thought the pace and the intensity we played with was extremely quick, the one-touch football was good, and everybody is starting to step up,” Ellis told safa.net after their second training session.

The Banyana Banyana technical team is keeping a close eye on training as they have to trim the squad down to 21 going to the AWCON.

“We have a really big headache, but that is what we want – to have a such a situation (headache) in terms of selecting the squad and we want to make sure that because of the way we play, we get the best players to do the job,” added Ellis.

“But I’ve been impressed with a lot of the newer players that have come in. And the players that have come back – either after injury or haven’t been called up, it is like they never left they understand everything and have just slotted in nicely.”

UPDATED PRELIMINARY BANYANA BANYANA AWCON SQUAD

NAME AND SURNAME	POSITION	CLUB	PROVINCE
1. ANDILE DLAMINI	GK	MAMELODI SUNDOWNS LADIES	GAUTENG
2. KAYLIN SWART	GK	JVW FC	GAUTENG
3. REGIRL NGOBENI	GK	UNIVERSITY OF THE WESTERN CAPE	WESTERN CAPE
4. KEBOTSENG MOLETSANE	GK	BLOEMFONTEIN CELTIC LADIES	FREE STATE
5. KARABO DHLAMINI	DF	MAMELODI SUNDOWNS LADIES	GAUTENG
6. CIMONE SAULS	DF	JVW FC	GAUTENG
7. LEBOHANG RAMALEPE	DF	DINAMO MINSK	BELARUS
8. KOKETSO TLAILANE	DF	TSHWANE UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY – PTA	GAUTENG
9. JANINE VAN WYK	DF	JVW FC	GAUTENG
10. TIISETSO MAKHUBELA	DF	MAMELODI SUNDOWNS LADIES	GAUTENG
11. BAMBANANI MBANE	DF	MAMELODI SUNDOWNS LADIES	GAUTENG
12. BONGEKA GAMEDE	DF	UNIVERSITY OF THE WESTERN CAPE	WESTERN CAPE
13. NOKO MATLOU	DF	SD EIBAR	SPAIN
14. LONATHEMBA MHLONGO	DF	UNIVERSITY OF THE WESTERN CAPE	WESTERN CAPE
15. REFILOE JANE	MF	AC MILAN	ITALY
16. MAMELLO MAKHABANE	MF	JVW FC	GAUTENG
17. NOMVULA KGOALE	MF	PARQUESDESOL CD	SPAIN
18. RHODA MULAUDZI	MF	MAMELODI SUNDOWNS LADIES	GAUTENG
19. LINDA MOTLHALO	MF	DJUGARDENS	SWEDEN
20. THALEA SMIDT	MF	MAMELODI SUNDOWNS LADIES	GAUTENG
21. KHOLOSA BIYANA	MF	SPORTING GIJON	SPAIN
22. AMOGELANG MOTAU	MF	UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN CAPE	WESTERN CAPE
23. ROBYN MOODALY	MF	JVW FC	GAUTENG
24. SIBULELE HOLWENI	MF	UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN CAPE	WESTERN CAPE
25. THUBELIHLE SHAMASE	MF	UNIVERSITY OF JOHANNESBURG	GAUTENG
26. JERMAINE SEOPOSENWE	FW	SC BRAGA	PORTUGAL
27. MELINDA KGADIETE	FW	MAMELODI SUNDOWNS LADIES	GAUTENG
28. LELONA DAWETI	FW	MAMELODI SUNDOWNS LADIES	GAUTENG
29. NOXOLO CESANE	FW	UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN CAPE	WESTERN CAPE
30. NTHABISENG MAJIYA	FW	RICHMOND LADIES	NORTHERN CAPE
31. THEMBI KGATLANA	FW	ATHLETICO MADRID	SPAIN
32. HILDAH MAGAIA	FW	SEJONG SPORTSTOTO	SOUTH KOREA
33. REITUMETSE CHABANA	FW	TSHWANE UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY – PTA	GAUTENG

By Matlhomola Morake