Banyana aim to close the gap
Now that Banyana Banyana are safely into the London Olympics next year, coach Joseph Mkhonza is focusing on closing the gap between the South African women's football team and the rest of the world.
The coach believes he has time to improve the quality of his team before taking on the world's best at the 2012 Games.
The London Olympics will start in July, giving Mkhonza and his team 10 months to prepare.
Banyana clinched Olympic qualification on Sunday in Addis Ababa by drawing 1-1 with Ethiopia. The result meant an aggregate 4-1 win in the team's final Games qualifier.
Mkhonza and his team arrived at OR Tambo airport in Johannesburg yesterday with the coach warning that Banyana's challenge at the Olympics would be harder than many might imagine.
Mkhonza said he would put forward a plan to the SA Football Association for Banyana to face tougher opponents from Asia and Europe in the build-up to London 2012.
He said friendly matches against other African teams would not be ideal because this would not help his squad to improve.
"[Teams from Asia and Europe] are the powerhouses of women's football and we shouldn't look anywhere else ... for our next opponents," said the coach.
"We are not going to face African opposition [at the Olympics] and we definitely don't want to just make up numbers at the Olympic Games."
Nigeria and Cameroon still need to play to decide the other African qualifier for the Games.
Mkhonza said Banyana had a lot of ground to make up, especially given their 68th world ranking by Fifa.
"After watching the women's World Cup in Germany recently, we know where we are as a team. We know we are far behind and it is up to me and the technical team to come up with a programme that will help us compete in London."
Banyana finished third at the African championships, held in South Africa early this year, missing out on a World Cup spot.
According to the coach, who took charge of the team after that tournament, the disappointment of the World Cup motivated Banyana during the Olympic qualifiers.
"It could have worked against us, but instead they used the disappointment to reach for the London dream," said Mkhonza.
"Experience is the best teacher and that is what they got during the championships. That is probably why we are here are at the moment."
Mkhonza added that players from the B team, which took part in the Africa Games in Mozambique, would also be considered for London.
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