/ 21 October 2012

Sister back for Banyana as central defender

Banyana central defender Amanda Sister.
Banyana central defender Amanda Sister.

"I am just glad to be back training as it was not nice to be left in the stands watching while my team-mates played in the matches against Zimbabwe," Sister said at the national soccer camp in Cameroon.

Prior to the national women team's departure for Cameroon, the Port Elizabeth-based player sat out of the two international friendly fixtures played against Zimbabwe as a precautionary measure.

The 22-year-old Sister has formed a solid partnership with Janine van Wyk in the centre of defence over the past two seasons, creating solidity in front of goalkeeper Thoko Mndaweni. "We will want to be at our best when we play at the CAF African Women Championship 2012 as we look to improve on our world ranking of 56th place," she said.

"Our opening match on October 28 against Equatorial Guinea is so key as many of our players who were in the team in at the CAF African Women Championship 2010 in Ekurhuleni, will want to set the record straight."

Equatorial Guinea beat the South Africans in the semi-finals of the tournament two years ago and in so doing, booked a place along with eventual champions Nigeria, at the Fifa women's World Cup held in Germany last year.

"Losing to Equatorial Guinea left us shattered in having missed out on Fifa women's World Cup qualification, but we picked ourselves up and qualified for the 2012 London Olympics along with Cameroon," Sister said.

Apart from midfielder Yola Jafta, who is nursing a hamstring strain but is expected to be fit in time for selection for the opening fixture against Equatorial Guinea, all the players were at training in Yaounde.

Following the Group A match against Equatorial Guinea, Banyana will face Senegal in Malabo on October 31, and will travel to Bata for their encounter with the Democratic Republic of Congo on November 3. – Sapa