The South African women’s soccer team, Banyana Banyana, have qualified for the All Africa games in Mozambique after a 4-0 victory over Botswana in Gaborone on Sunday.
Banyana Banyana entered the match with a 1-0 deficit from the first leg fixture played in Polokwane 11 days earlier.
A few changes in tactics allowed the South Africans to play a more attacking game with Noko Matlou netting two of her team’s goals.
Captain Amanda Dlamini and Mary Ntsweng accounted for the other two.
“The game plan was always to attack and create enough pressure to get a healthy lead by half-time which would drain Botswana both physically and mentally in the second half of the match,” a delighted coach Mkhonza said afterwards.
Mkhonza’s surprise was in playing regular left-back Nothando Vilakazi as a left-sided striker, along with centre forward Dlamini and right-side attacker Matlou.
Vilakazi, who bore much of the brunt for a defensive error that allowed Botswana to score in Polokwane, came to the party in providing a superb cross in the third minute, to allow Matlou to score her 42nd goal in 56 Banyana Banyana appearances.
Later a long ball caught the Botswaba defence off guard and Dlamini ran on to it to fire home in the 23rd minute.
Three minutes later, the match was all but over as a contest with the Botswana defenders unable to clear the ball from a Banyana Banyana corner kick.
This resulted in midfielder Ntsweng forcing the ball over the goal-line in a crowded penalty area.
Another period of Banyana Banyana pressure, including some good build up play by second half substitute midfielder Robyn Moodaly, allowed Matlou to slot home her second goal of the afternoon with 8 minutes of play remaining.
The Banyana Banyana line up, strengthened by the return from injury of goalkeeper Thoko Mndaweni, defender Janine van Wyk and midfielder Mamello Makhabane, were too classy on the day for the Botswana line up.
Having played seven matches (of which they won six) in five months this year, the players will turn their attention to club action with the Sasol League National Championships to be held in June.
Banyana Banyana’s next major international commitment will be Olympic qualifier matches to be played against Ethiopia on a home and away basis in August, with the winning team qualifying for the 2012 London Olympics.
The All Africa games take place in September in Maputo. — Sapa