The Banyana Banyana have lost two international friendlies against top opposition; Australia and Brazil, as Desire Ellis set out to fine tune tactics prior to the Women's World Cup next year.
Two months after winning their maiden WAFCON title, earning a hard-fought 2-1 victory over hosts Morocco, led by the tireless Hildah Magaia, who scored both her side’s goals in eight second-half minutes, Banyana Banyana wants to transform that to global success. However, they're finding out that it isn't going to be that easy.
Banyana Banyana have learnt some harsh lessons in their past three encounters since being crowned African champions, including a defeat to Zambia's Chepolopolo in the COSAFA women's Championship final. But they are hopeful these will leave them better prepared for the 2023 Fifa World Cup.
There can be no debate about whether Banyana Banyana have improved since their first and most recent appearance at a Fifa World Cup. It has been a drastic improvement.
It is why, after five previous attempts and falling at the final hurdle, the team was able to finally clinch the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) back in July 2022.
Nevertheless, recent friendly clashes against opposition in and around the top 10 of the global women’s Fifa rankings showed just how far the team still needs to rise. Especially if they are at least to make the teams of the quality they have recently faced sweat for victory, or defeat them.
Across all three of their recent friendly encounters, Desiree Ellis’s team made mistakes that were heavily punished. In both their encounters against Brazil, the players were directly culpable for mistakes that were punished by the quality opposition. The result was a 9-0 aggregate drubbing for the African champions.
In their recent 4-1 loss to 2023 World Cup co-hosts Australia, it was again individual mistakes that resulted in the Australians running away with the tie in the first 45 minutes as they raced into a 3-0 lead.
Though, to their credit, the South Africans put up a better fight in the second stanza. They restricted the Matildas to just a single goal while scoring one of their own in the dying embers of the match.
This is the second time SA will be taking part in the global showpiece.
During their World Cup debut in 2019, the South Africa failed to earn a single point and scored just one goal. That can be pinned on stage fright and inexperience as the players arrived on such a prestigious stage for the first time in their careers.
On that occasion they were grouped with two-time world champions Germany, as well as Spain and China. Against the latter, they offered a decent account of themselves, but could not best the Asians. They ultimately lost 1-0 to add to the defeats against the Europeans.
South Africa, Morocco and Nigeria are directly qualified for the Women's World Cup while another nation from the continent, Cameroon, could still get a ticket if they succeed in the playoffs against Thailand and Portugal.
