Careers & Tenders
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/ 11 July 2003

Banyana Banyana to do the Congo

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The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) soccer clubs St Lupopo and TP Mazembe came, saw, but could not conquer last week when the Kudu Horn trophy returned to Kaizer Chiefs in the Vodacom Challenge.

This Saturday another contingent from the diamond-rich country, the national women’s team, has come to play an international friendly against Banyana Banyana in Randfontein. The South African women’s soccer team will use the DRC match as a warm-up in their preparations for the All Africa Games in Nigeria in October, as well as for the Olympic qualifiers in November.

It will be the first time the All Africa Games has included women’s football. Banyana Banyana coach Greg Mashilo said: ‘I will be going to Nigeria to win at least one of the medals on offer.”

During their training camp this week Banyana Banyana was beaten 3-0 by MX Health, a men’s team in Pretoria. Mashilo said the squad was still in high spirits despite the loss and were focusing on the big game against the DRC and will ‘go out there to protect [their] image”.

It will be Banyana Banyana’s second game this year after they lost 2-0 to African women’s champions Nigeria earlier this year. South Africa’s opposition in the All Africa Games are Algeria, Cameroon, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mali and hosts Nigeria. ‘I am hoping to use these games to prepare for the qualifiers to the Olympics next year,” said Mashilo.

The image of the South African women’s team has taken a knock recently. They are now ranked fourth on the continent after their dismal performance in the 2002 Women’s Nations Cup, where they finished fourth. In 2000 they reached the finals, in 1998 they reached the group stages and in 1995 they were in the finals. Mashilo said his squad was selected mainly from the Sanlam League, where he felt the players were getting a lot of match practice.

He added that the doors were still open for other players to make it into the final team set to leave for Nigeria in October, and next week he will be in Durban to scout for more talent in the Sanlam Halala Cup finals.