Valuable lessons from the past Women’s Fifa World Cup put Banyana Banyana in good stead in their bid to go beyond the group stages of next month’s showpiece.
Desiree Ellis led a naive South Africa in their maiden appearance at the tournament in 2019, and they returned home from France early after losing all three of their Group B matches.
This added to Banyana’s disappointing winless run on the world stage, as they also have never won a match at the Olympic Games. But now they know better and are quite experienced as they put final touches on preparations ahead of the 2023 World Cup edition in New Zealand and Australia from July 20 to August 20.
Ellis’ team will be up against Sweden, Italy and Argentina in Group G and a top-two finish will guarantee them a place in the knockouts. Banyana may be African champions, but their heavy defeats when they had to step up against crack teams from outside the continent last year — 3-0 and 6-0 losses to Brazil and 4-1 loss against Australia — indicate that unless Ellis can get her team to punch above their weight, it might not quite be a mission impossible progressing past such a tough group, but at least close to one.
Thorough analysis of their opponents and selecting the right players to ensure versatility and depth in the squad will be crucial, said Ellis, who announced a 36-member preliminary squad last week. Getting the team's positioning right will also be important.
Versatility in the squad was how South Africa were able to deal with Thembi Kgatlane’s injury blow and multiple Covid-19 cases en route to winning the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) title in Morocco last year, bravely beating the hosts 2-1 in front of a hostile home crowd in the final in Rabat.
“If you look at 2018 [when Banyana lost in the Wafcon final on penalties], 2019 and 2022, we learnt a few lessons in the way we needed to have more depth,” Ellis said.
“Remember Refiloe Jane having to leave before the [2018] final and Leandra [Smeda] not being 100% fit, and having to play Bambanani [Mbane] in the defensive midfield role because we needed a bit of strength there.
“Our first penalty-taker, Leandra, was not available, and the second, Refiloe, was not available, and Bambanani was cramping in extra time and not available.
“That was why when we selected the 2022 squad we looked for more depth and a lot more versatility.
“If you look at the last World Cup too, Nothando Vilakazi got sent off, Leandra got injured and we eventually had to play Sibulele Holweni, who we knew at the time was quite versatile. So we are looking for those types of players that will fit in the way we want to play. We’ve been working on a certain strategy.”
I’ve been in contact with Thembi Kgatlana directly. She is in a good space and they are really doing well as a club. I’ve watched one or two of her games and she is really looking exciting. It’s like having a new signing.
— Desiree Ellis
Against Sweden, Italy and to some extent Argentina, Banyana are not likely to enjoy a lot of time on the ball. Ellis said she has prepared a plan to overcome that challenge. “We know we are good with the ball, and we also have to be better without the ball.
“We’ve been working on certain things, and we will select the players that will complement our style. Look, we are honest, there are so many good players out there, but unfortunately, we can’t select everyone.”
To ensure they get the right players Ellis and her technical team have upped the ante, monitoring all the South Africans plying their trade abroad, including Kgatlane, who recently returned to US National Women's Soccer League club Racing Louisville after a long-term injury sustained in July last year when she ruptured her Achilles tendon during the Wafcon.
“Thembi’s progress has been fantastic. She has been getting game time building up after starting with a few minutes, which is great for us,” Ellis said.
“They [Racing] have done a fantastic job in taking good care of her and managing her and making sure she is ready to play for them. They didn’t rush things. Our conditioning coach [Ridhaa Allie] has been in contact not just with Thembi, but also with their conditioning coach.
“I’ve been in contact with Thembi directly. She is in a good space and they are really doing well as a club. I’ve watched one or two of her games and she is really looking exciting. It’s like having a new signing.
“Having her will really boost the squad, but we really pride ourselves on teamwork, so that we don’t rely on individuals.”
Ellis’ bench has been beefed up with second assistant coach Simphiwe Dludlu and technical adviser Shilene Booysen to boost chances of success at the World Cup. In the build-up to the tournament, Banyana had good results and performances against decent teams. They will also be tested by Costa Rica in Christchurch, New Zealand on July 15, five days before they kick off their World Cup campaign against Sweden in Wellington on July 23.
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