Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies Head Coach Jerry Tshabalala has highlighted several areas that his side needs to work on following the conclusion of the Women’s Cup. The current African Champions delivered a much better performance in their second game against INAC Kobe, despite losing the match 2-0.
The performance levels left Tshabalala encouraged and he expressed his optimism about the experience gained during the trip to the United States.
“We are disappointed with the result. As much as we went down 2-0, I believe the girls held their own. It is disappointing to play the whole tournament without scoring, especially since we are known for doing that regularly. I said before that we are in this tournament to learn and we have learned different things. I believe that when we come back another time, we will return as a better team,” said Tshabalala
Having won five South African Championships and two CAF Champions League titles, the Banyana Ba Style coach expressed his delight at exposing his side to a different level of competition. This experience will be crucial as they aim to defend their league and continental titles in the coming months.
“You know, playing against Kansas City Current and INAC Kobe was a game-changer for us because it pushed us beyond our comfort zone and showed us where we needed to improve. Competing against teams of this caliber highlighted both our strengths and areas that needed fine-tuning. One such area is in our defensive organization. The pace and precision of our opponents exposed gaps that we need to address if we are to maintain our dominance back home and on the continent.”
Tshabalala added:
“We realized that our transition play, particularly when moving from defense to attack, requires more speed and coordination. The games showed us that to compete at the highest level, we must be quicker and more decisive in these critical moments. Our finishing also needs work; we created chances but struggled to convert them and that is something we will focus on in our upcoming training sessions,” he said.
In his closing remarks, Tshabalala expressed his desire to have more of these games, saying:
“We are heading back home with a burning desire to have this kind of exposure more frequently to enable us to keep pace with the top teams globally. Competing against high-calibre opponents is crucial for our growth, and it is the only way we can truly measure ourselves against the best. These experiences not only challenge us but also inspire us to elevate our game and continue improving,” he concluded.
Banyana ba Style return to domestic league action when they face the University of Johannesburg on Sunday, 25 August 2024 at the UJ Stadium in Soweto.
Kick-off is at 3pm.
Source: Sundownsfc.com
