BANYANA BANYANA RULE SOUTHERN AFRICA
BANYANA Banyana reminded their counterparts why they have been crowned “Queens of southern Africa” for the past four years after beating neighbours Zambia and Botswana in their international friendlies during the Fifa break.
On Saturday, they beat Zambia
3-1 at Bidvest Stadium, before returning to the same venue yesterday to beat Botswana 2-0 thanks to second-half goals from Spain-based striker Thembi Kgatlana and Gabriela Salgado.
The South Africans, who will miss the Olympics in July for the first time since their maiden qualification nine years ago, used the friendlies as part of their preparations for the Cosafa Championship and Africa Women’s Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Coach Desiree Ellis made four changes yesterday to the team that started against Olympics-bound Zambia, Kaylin Swart, Tiisetso Makhubela, Koketso Tlailane and Noxolo Cesane starting ahead of Andile Dlamini, Bongeka Gamede, Sibulele Holweni and Kgaelebane Mohlakoana.
With home advantage and high on confidence, Banyana pressed from the outset, but scoring opportunities were few and far between in the opening stages as Botswana kept a steady wall in defence.
After the water break, the South Africans came close to breaking the deadlock. Kgatlana sent a delightful cross in front of goal, forcing goalkeeper Sedilame Bosija to parry the ball back into play, but Robyn Moodlay could only blast the rebound into the stands.
Soon thereafter, the evergreen Salgado forced Bosija to tip her closerange effort into the stands after it took a huge deflection on its way towards goal as Banyana piled on the pressure for the breakthrough with 10 minutes before the interval.
Salgado was gaining momentum as the match went on. She came close with a curling effort from the edge of the box, but Bosija sensed the danger and cleared the effort away for a corner-kick.
Despite exerting most of the pressure, given that Salgado had also put a pin-point shot on top of the crossbar, Banyana went into the break with nothing to show for their efforts with Botswana holding on by the skin of their teeth.
But South Africa wouldn’t be denied in the second half. After a close-range effort was saved by Bosija, Kgatlana wouldn’t repeat the same mistake twice, slotting past the former after being picked out with a through ball from midfield.
Salgado added her team’s second soon after. The winger skinned her marker down the byline before sneaking the ball home with a low shot between the legs of Bosija from an acute angle.