Head coach of the Sasol-sponsored Banyana Banyana, Desiree Ellis, has named the 23 players that will represent South Africa at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup scheduled for Australia and New Zealand next month (20 June – 20 August).
The event took place on Friday (23 June 2023) exactly a month before South Africa takes on Sweden in their first match in the tournament.
In attendance at the ceremony at the Sefako Makgatho Presidential Guesthouse in Pretoria were, among others, Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Zizi Kodwa, South African Football Association President Dr Danny Jordaan, CEO Lydia Monyepao, Sasol Executive Vice President for Human Resources and Stakeholder Relations Charlotte Mokoena and several other ministers.
Also there to offer their support was former Bafana Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane, former Bafana Bafana captain Lucas Radebe as well as Bafana Bafana legend Simphiwe Tshabalala.
“Banyana Banyana, you have shown us the true meaning of perseverance and resilience. Through countless hours of training, relentless determination, and your unwavering commitment to excellence, you have elevated women’s football in our country to new heights. Each one of you has become a role model, an inspiration, and a beacon of hope for countless young girls who dare to dream big. Your achievements on the field are nothing short of extraordinary. From triumphs in regional tournaments to representing our nation proudly on the global stage, you have demonstrated that greatness knows no boundaries. Your performances have captivated our nation, uniting us in support and celebration. You have proved time and again that women’s football deserves equal recognition, investment, and support,” said the Minister of Sport.
“With no pressure intended, as you embark on your upcoming endeavors, remember that you carry with you the hopes and dreams of a nation. Your journey is not just about victories on the field but about the transformative power of sport. You are not just athletes; you are ambassadors, cultural icons, and catalysts for change. Your presence in this global arena sends a powerful message that women can achieve anything they set their minds to.”
Ellis selected a strong squad with more experience and a blend of youth.
“It has been a tough week. It might have not been easy for you as players but it was also not easy for me as the coach. If I could, I would have taken every one but unfortunately I can only take 23 players. Thank you for the hard work that each and every one of you has put in, and this is not the end of it. It still needs to continue and it will get more challenging from here because the World Cup stage is a different ball game,” said the three-time CAF Woman Coach of the Year before announcing the squad.
“I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to the whole group of 36 players (in the preliminary squad) for their enthusiasm, commitment and competitiveness during this time. I would also like to thank the staff for always giving their best.”
Making the final cut was uncapped, young striker, Wendy Shongwe who runs out for the University of Pretoria in the Hollywoodbets Super League, as well as Royal AM goalminder, Kebotseng Moletsane, who has been capped only once.
USA-based forward, Thembi Kgatlana, makes a welcome return after a long injury lay-off. The last time she donned national team colours was in Morocco when she limped off in a match against Botswana in the CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in July last year.
But she has since recovered and put in some good performances for her club, Racing Louisville – she has even opened her goal-scoring account.
Defender Noko Matlou, most likely in her final major tournament in national team colours, is the most-capped in the squad with 167 appearances, followed by Refiloe Jane on 132 as the only centurions in the team.
Goalkeeper Regirl Ngobeni of the University of the Western Cape (UWC), along with clubmate, Amogelang Motau and Richmond United’s Nthabiseng Majiya are the stand-by players.
Of the 23 Banyana Banyana players going to Australia and New Zealand, only six will be making their World Cup debut, at any age group – Moletsane, Noxolo Cesane, Hilda Magaia, Melinda Kgadiete, Wendy Shongwe and Gabriela Salgado – while Kgoale, Moodaly and Magama are yet to play at senior level.
Seven squad members have U17 World Cup experience:
- Kaylin Swart – 2010 Trinidad and Tobago
- Robyn Moodaly – 2010 Trinidad and Tobago
- Nomvula Kgoale – 2010 Trinidad and Tobago
- Jermaine Seoposenwe – 2010 Trinidad and Tobago
- Karabo Dhlamini – 2018 Uruguay
- Sibulele Holweni – 2018 Uruguay
- Fikile Magama – 2018 Uruguay
- Kaylin Swart – 2010 Trinidad and Tobago
- Robyn Moodaly – 2010 Trinidad and Tobago
- Nomvula Kgoale – 2010 Trinidad and Tobago
- Jermaine Seoposenwe – 2010 Trinidad and Tobago
- Karabo Dhlamini – 2018 Uruguay
- Sibulele Holweni – 2018 Uruguay
- Fikile Magama – 2018 Uruguay
There are 14 survivors from South Africa’s maiden World Cup appearance in France four years ago:
- Andile Dlamini
- Kaylin Swart
- Karabo Dlamini
- Bambanani Mbane
- Bongeka Gamede
- Lebogang Ramalepe
- Noko Matlou
- Tiisetso Makhubela
- Refiloe Jane
- Linda Motlhalo
- Kholosa Biyana
- Sibulele Holweni
- Jermaine Seoposenwe
- Thembi Kgatlana
Ellis has retained the bulk (18) of the squad that did duty at the WAFCON in Morocco last year:
- Andile Dlamini
- Kaylin Swart
- Karabo Dlamini
- Bambanani Mbane
- Bongeka Gamede
- Lebogang Ramalepe
- Noko Matlou
- Refiloe Jane
- Linda Motlhalo
- Kholosa Biyana
- Sibulele Holweni
- Jermaine Seoposenwe
- Thembi Kgatlana
- Nomvula Kgoale
- Noxolo Cesane
- Hilda Magaia
- Melinda Kgadiete
- Robyn Moodaly
Matlou and Jane are the only two players who have been ever present in Banyana Banyana’s major tournaments – London 2012 Olympics, Rio 2016 Olympics, France 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, 2022 CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, and now the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
As expected, South Africa’s elite women’s football league, the Hollywoodbets Super League, has provided the bulk of the players – 16 in total:
6 – Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies
4 – University of the Western Cape (UWC)
3 – JVW
1 – Royal AM
1 – TS Galaxy Queens
1 – University of Pretoria
The remaining six are based abroad while one is unattached:
Matlou (Spain), Jane (Spain), Seoposenwe (Mexico), Kgatlana (USA), Magaia (South Korea), Motlhalo (Scotland), Cesane (unattached).
The Banyana Banyana bench is also strong with the three coaches loaded with World Cup experience.
Thinasonke Mbuli sat alongside Ellis in France in 2019, while Simphiwe Dludlu qualified and led the U17 Women’s National Team at the 2018 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup in Uruguay.
Left out of the preliminary squad of 36 are:
- Asa Rabalao (University of Pretoria
- Asanda Hadebe (Sunflower WFC)
- Cimone Sauls (JVW)
- Lonathemba Mhlongo (UWC)
- Thubelihle Shames (UJ FC)
- Thalea Smidt (University of Pretoria)
- Nicole Michael (TS Galaxy Queens)
- Spumelele Shames (UJ FC)
- Lelona Daweti (Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies FC)
- Ntombifikile Ndlovu (UWC)
BANYANA BANYANA 2023 FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP SQUAD
| NAME | CLUB | WORLD CUP APPEARANCE | CAPS | ||||||
| GOALKEEPERS: | |||||||||
| Andile Dlamini | SUNDOWNS LADIES | France 2019 | 69 | ||||||
| KAYLIN SWART | JVW | U17 2010, France 2019 | 33 | ||||||
| KEBOTSENG MOLETSANE | ROYAL AM | DEBUT | 1 | ||||||
| DEFENDERS: | |||||||||
| KARABO DHLAMINI | SUNDOWNS LADIES | U17 2018, France 2019 | 22 | ||||||
| BAMBANANI MBANE | SUNDOWNS LADIES | France 2019 | 78 | ||||||
| BONGEKA GAMEDE | UWC | France 2019 | 22 | ||||||
| LEBOHANG RAMALEPE | SUNDOWNS LADIES | France 2019 | 88 | ||||||
| NOKO MATLOU | SD EIBAR FEMENINO, SPAIN | France 2019 | 167 | ||||||
| TIISETSO MAKHUBELA | SUNDOWNS LADIES | 22 | |||||||
| FIKILE MAGAMA | UWC | U17 2018 | 8 | ||||||
| MIDFIELDERS: | |||||||||
| REFILOE JANE | SASSUOLO, ITALY | France 2019 | 132 | ||||||
| LINDA MOTLHALO | GLASGOW CITY, SCOTLAND | France 2019 | 65 | ||||||
| KHOLOSA BIYANA | UWC | France 2019 | 36 | ||||||
| ROBYN MOODALY | JVW | U17 2010 | 41 | ||||||
| SIBULELE HOLWENI | UWC | U17 2018, France 2019 | 28 | ||||||
| NOMVULA KGOALE | TS GALAXY QUEENS | U17 2010 | 18 | ||||||
| FORWARDS: | |||||||||
| JERMAINE SEOPOSENWE | CF MONTERREY, MEXICO | U17 2010, France 2019 | 91 | ||||||
| THEMBI KGATLANA | RACING LOUISVILLE, USA | France 2019 | 68 | ||||||
| NOXOLO CESANE | UNATTACHED | DEBUT | 30 | ||||||
| HILDA MAGAIA | SEJONG SPORTSTOTO | DEBUT | 27 | ||||||
| MELINDA KGADIETE | SUNDOWNS LADIES | DEBUT | 25 | ||||||
| WENDY SHONGWE | UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA | DEBUT | 0 | ||||||
| GABRIELA SALGADO | JVW | DEBUT | 27 | ||||||
| STAND-BY PLAYERS: | |||||||||
| REGIRL NGOBENI | UWC | ||||||||
| AMOGELANG MOTAU | UWC | ||||||||
| NTHABISENG MAJIYA | RICHMOND UNITED | ||||||||
| COACH: | DESIREE ELLIS | ||||||||
OUT FROM WAFCON:
Regirl Ngobeni (GK)
Janine van Wyk (D)
Amogelang Motau (M)
Nthabiseng Majiya (F)
IN:
Kebotseng Moletsane (GK)
FIkile Magama (D)
Wendy Shongwe (F)
Gabriela Salgado (F)
“We would like to congratulate all the Sasol-sponsored Banyana Banyana players who have been chosen to represent South Africa in the 2023 Women’s World Cup. We want to thank you for your dedication and hard work throughout the selection camp. We worked hard in the past few months, and everyone has put their best foot forward to ensure that we are properly prepared for this adventure. I would want to appeal to my fellow 60 million South Africans to continue sending messages of support, since these give the players encouragement to do their best at the Women’s World Cup,” said Mokoena.
Refiloe Jane will captain the squad, with Andile Dlamini and Thembi Kgatlana selected as the vice-captains.
Banyana Banyana will play a friendly match on home as a send-off on a date to be confirmed. Banyana Banyana are expected to fly out of the country early in July.
South Africa has been drawn in Group G at the FIFA Women’s World Cup, alongside 2003 finalists Sweden, Italy and Argentina.
The first three matches will see Ellis’ charges alternate between the Wellington Regional Stadium and the Dunedin Stadium in New Zealand where they will be based – with a time difference of +10 hours with South Africa.
For the opening and last group stages matches, Banyana Banyana will be at the Wellington Stadium.
The first assignment is on Sunday, 23 July 2023 against Sweden with a 17h00 kick off local time – 03h00 SA Time), as well as a fixture against Italy on Wednesday, 2 August at 19h00 local time (05h00 SA time).
In between the two games, the African Champions will fly for just under an hour and a half to face Argentina at the Dunedin Stadium on Friday, 28 July 2023.
The match will start at 12h00 local time (22h00 SA time).
The round of 16 matches for this group will take place in Australia.
Should South Africa come out top of their pack, they will move to Melbourne to face whoever is second in Group E – which has the defending champions USA, Vietnam, the Netherlands and debutants Portugal.
A second place finish for Banyana Banyana in their group will see them travel to Sydney to take on Group E winners.
Co-hosts New Zealand will play the first match of the 32-nation tournament when they welcome Norway to Eden Park on Thursday, 20 July 2023 while fellow co-hosts Australia will take on debutants the Republic of Ireland at the Sydney Football Stadium in Group B on the same day.
Stadium Australia will host the final on Sunday, 20 August 2023.
BANYANA BANYANA FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP MATCH GROUP STAGES FIXTURES:
South Africa vs Sweden
Sunday, 23 July 2023
Wellington Regional Stadium
WELLINGTON/TE WANGANUI-A-TARA
New Zealand
17h00 local time (03h00 SA Time)
Argentina vs South Africa
Friday, 28 July 2023
Dunedin Stadium
DUNEDIN/OTEPOTI
New Zealand
12h00 local time (22h00 SA Time)
South Africa vs Italy
Wednesday, 2 August 2023
Wellington Regional Stadium
WELLINGTON/TE WANGANUI-A-TARA
New Zealand
19h00 local time (05h00 SA Time)
The FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 full match schedule is available for download
By Matlhomola Morake
