Banyana beef up from Denmark drubbing with fighting loss to England

SA put up impressive display against one of the best teams in world football in front of a packed stadium in Coventry

29 October 2024 - 23:59
subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now
Banyana Banyana's Thembi Kgatlana scores a goal that was later disallowed in their international friendly against England at Coventry Building Society Arena on Tuesday night.
Banyana Banyana's Thembi Kgatlana scores a goal that was later disallowed in their international friendly against England at Coventry Building Society Arena on Tuesday night.
Image: Reuters/Molly Darlington

Banyana Banyana ran out 2-1 losers but produced a fighting performance in their international friendly against a formidable England in Coventry on Tuesday night.    

Playing in pink to promote Breast Cancer Awareness month, the South Africans mounted an impressive display against one of the best teams in world football in front of a packed, 30,000-seat Coventry Building Society Arena.

Strikes by Leah Williamson in the 12th minute and Grace Clinton in the 23rd gave England a quick 2-0 lead. But South Africa fought back into the game and were unfortunate not to add more than the excellent Thembi Kgatlana's lone reply in the 55th as the visitors truly dominated the second half.

The match pitted the African and European champions against each other and South Africa represented the continent far better on Tuesday night than in their 5-0 drubbing by Denmark in Aalborg ion Friday.

The two friendlies are part of coach Desiree Ellis's team's build-up to next year's Women's Africa Cup of Nations.

Apart from winning Euro 2022 on home soil, England were also the losing finalists in last year's World Cup final against Spain. Banyana became the first South African men's or women's senior team to progress past a World Cup group stage in Australasia.

After a first half where some defensive sloppiness by Banyana led to two strikes for the hosts, the threat of more goals coming after the break seemed realistic for South Africa.

But Banyana came out from the change rooms more committed in the challenge, fighting in the duels and far tighter in their shape, which seemed to rattle the Lionesses.

England took advantage of lack of best positioning in defence from the South Africans to race to a two-goal cushion.

A corner from the right could not be cleared by Banyana and fell to Jessica Naz to feed inside to centreback Williamson, free in the middle, who had time and space to produce a simple finish past goalkeeper Kaylin Swart.

Even in their more dishevelled first half, Banyana's fast runners looked dangerous on the break, especially Kgatlana and Hildah Magaia.

A stray England pass gave Magaia space on the right and her shot deflected into the path of Noxolo Cesane, who could not connect a finish.

The Lionesses made it 2-0 when right-back Maya Le Tissier was allowed too much space on the overlap and chipped onto the head of unmarked Clinton to head past Swart.

Banyana were a revitalised side back from the break, as Kgatlana came into her own.

Ten minutes from the restart another stray pass, by Williamson, was to the feet of the Banyana striker who gleefully sprinted through and beat keeper Mary Earps.

On the hour England's legendary Dutch coach Sarina Wiegman rang multiple changes.

Soon after that Chloe Kelly's powerful strike from the edge of the box beat substitute keeper Andile Dlamini onto the crossbar.

Kgatlana started to really trouble England, having the ball in the net with a superb finish but from an offside position, then seeing another shot deflected wide, then shooting at Earps as she outstripped the home defence at will.


subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now