The Sasol-sponsored Banyana Banyana have assembled for a training camp ahead of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, that is scheduled for Australia and New Zealand from 20 July to 20 August.
Head coach Desiree Ellis has named a preliminary squad of 36 players, expected to be trimmed down to the final 23 that will represent South Africa at the global women’s football showpiece.
The training camp kicked off on Monday (12 June), and will run until 3 July before the team flies out of the country, heading to their World Cup base in New Zealand.
In Group G, Banyana Banyana will open their World Cup account against Sweden (23 July 2023), followed by Argentina five days later (28 July 2023) and conclude their group stage matches with a fixture against Italy on 2 August 2023.
Since being crowned African Champions in July last year, South Africa has played six matches: twice against Brazil, and once vs Australia in 2022.
This year (2023) action kicked off with the Turkish Women’s Cup where they took on Uzbekistan and Slovenia. They also travelled to Serbia for another international friendly, while Costa Rica has been pencilled in for next month (Nga Puna Wai Sport Complex in Christchurch, New Zealand – 15 July 2023).
Twenty-nine players reported for national team duty on the first day, with the overseas-based contingent expected to join their compatriots on Tuesday (20 June): Refiloe Jane (Italy), Hilda Magaia (South Korea), Linda Motlhalo (Scotland), Thembi Kgatlana (USA), Jermaine Seoposenwe & Noxolo Cesane (both Mexico) and Noko Matlou (Spain).
The duo of Magaia and Kgatlana are still active in their respective leagues, while Jane, Motlhalo, Matlou, Seoposenwe and Cesane are already on an off-season break.
CentreCircle.online caught up with Matlou, who ended the 2022/23 league campaign on a high after helping her SD Eibar side gain promotion back into the Premiera Liga in Spain – this after suffering a heart-breaking relegation at the end of the previous season.
First things first, congratulations on winning promotion back to the elite league – how does it feel?
Thank you so much, it feels great to be back in the elite league. It is moments like these that will forever be entrenched in the memories. I can’t even explain the excitement I feel – which has totally replaced the pain of relegation.
Talking about relegation, when you recall the moment you were relegated, did you know that you could be celebrating as you are today?
Yes, I knew that if we can work hard and give our best, then there would be no doubt that we would be celebrating but it required us to double our efforts to regain our status – and we did it.
When you were relegated, you decided to stay with the club and fight with them, what was going on in your mind?
The decision to stay with the team came when I heard the club director’s words, saying: “If you (Noko) stay with the team and we continue with this project, we’ll be in the elite league,” then I knew he believes in me and the team, so in my mind I was like ‘if he keeps half of the team then we will gain promotion,’ and here we are.
How would you summarise the season?
In my view, it was the best season ever, even if we had our ups and downs due to injuries. We were more focused, had one vision and one goal, so it was a great season – and the promotion is proof of that.
At what point did you realise that promotion was a possibility?
We didn’t do so well in the pre-season friendlies, and that pushed us to work even harder. Come the start of the league campaign, we started very well, gathering as many points as we could and we went nine game without a loss – three draws and six wins. At some point we were leading the log standings with seven points, and that’s when I realised that promotion was possible, provided we maintained that form. We almost lost it towards the of the season, dropping points unnecessarily but we managed to stay alive.
You secured promoted only on the last day – describe the nerves for us and what was going on in your head?
Wow, we knew that that final match was like a cup final as we did not want to go through the rigours of the play-offs, so we gave it our all in that game. We were all nervous, and I guess that’s what saw us over the line – but that feeling is something that I don’t want to experience in my life again. I remember looking in the grand stands seeing the club’s director monitoring scores from the other matches, and it looked like maybe we were heading to the playoffs. The nerves got worse because we had to wait for about five minutes after final whistle before we could celebrate once all the results had been confirmed. It was too much to bear, but it was worth the wait.
Lessons have been learnt, what will you do differently to avoid relegation?
We must start well and do better, especially in the first round of the season because in the second round, it is very difficult to collect points as everyone is fighting for something – winning the league, getting into the play-offs, bettering their position or trying to escape relegation. The second half of the season becomes totally different from the first, you would think it is the first time you play a particular team, that you maybe beat comfortably in the first round. So, a good strong start is key.
Your loyalty has paid off and the club has rewarded you with a new contract…
To be able to pen down another contract deal at this stage of my life shows how much value and belief the team still has in me – and nothing feels more gratifying than that. Knowing the club still believes in me is just remarkable and exciting. And I will continue to do the best I can for SD Eibar for their trust in me.
How long is the contract?
I have signed a one year contract.
You are still going strong, despite injuries here and there, has retirement crossed your mind?
When my body tells me that it’s time and I can’t take it anymore then I will do it, only then will I start thinking about that. But for now, I believe I still have something to offer and I am enjoying my game, so I will keep going for as long as I can.
Will we see Noko returning to the Hollywoodbets Super League some day?
Definitely, I am really hoping to return where it all started for me and give back with my experience – maybe play a season or two before hanging up my boots.
The Limpopo sides are not doing well in the South African elite women’s league, all in the bottom half of the table (First Touch – 11th, Copperbelt 12th and Ma-Indies 16th) what would you attribute that to?
I think there are various challenges for most teams in the league, but as for the Limpopo sides, the struggle seems real – at this point I can’t put my finger on it. The only advice I can give is that they must fight harder until the last game – and what’s worse is that the second round becomes even more difficult. But I believe they will pull through.
On national team matters, how ready are you personally for the World Cup (should you be selected for the final squad)?
I want to believe that the tough, challenging, but also exciting season I had in Spain has prepared me well mentally and physically – and I need to continue working hard during this break so I don’t lose any edge, and put in extra work to ensure I secure my ticket to New Zealand.
Should you make the final squad, you will be one of two players – yourself and Refiloe Jane – to have played in Banyana Banyana’s major tournaments – London 2012, Rio 2016, WAFCONS, France 2019, AUS/NZ 2023. That’s a major achievement!!
It will be a great honour and a major achievement because it is every player’s dream to play on a bigger stage like the World Cup and the Olympics. So for me and FIFI to achieve that would mean a lot.
By Matlhomola Morake
