Banyana Banyana technical team banging heads
* Offering the technical team valuable opportunities to fine-tune tactics and evaluate performance under match conditions
* Banyana Banyana are ramping up their preparations for the defence of their WAfCON title to be hosted in Morocco from July 5-26
* With just over three months remaining before the start of WAfCON, these matches serve as an important phase in South Africa’s title defence campaign
By Duncan Mlanjira
In inviting Malawi for two international strength-testing matches, South Africa Football Association (SAFA) took into consideration that Scorchers shall provide competitive opposition in both fixtures on Saturday (April 5) and Tuesday (April 8).
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On its website, SAFA indicates that the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAfCON) defending champions, Banyana Banyana are hard at work ahead of the two international friendlies against Malawi.
“Malawi are expected to provide competitive opposition in both fixtures, offering the technical team valuable opportunities to fine-tune tactics and evaluate performance under match conditions,” says the report.
Banyana Banyana are ramping up their preparations for the defence of their WAfCON title at this year’s showpiece set to be hosted in Morocco from July 5-26 and have called a strong side for the friendly matches.
“With just over three months remaining before the start of WAfCON, these matches serve as an important phase in South Africa’s title defence campaign,” says SAFA on its website posted yesterday.
The hosts are reported to have had their first training session yesterday, “with team spirit and unity clearly on display”, adding that the session “focused on getting the players back into rhythm after club duty — with a strong emphasis on sharp movement, communication and building a collective mindset ahead of the matches.
This mentality is certainly going to assist the Scorchers have their own strength enhanced in preparation of their WAFCON 2026 qualifier against Angola in October.
The head coach Lovemore Fazili side, who arrived in South Africa yesterday, are reported by Fam.mw as having had their first training session at UJ Auckland Park this Thursday morning and were expected to have another session at the same venue in the afternoon.
Fam.mw reports that DRC-based defender Chimwemwe Madise joined the team yesterday evening while Bernadettar Mkandawire and Vanessa Chikupila were expected in today.
Fazili full squad comprises:
Goalkeepers: Mercy Sikelo (Kukoma Ntopwa), Yamikani Kaonga (MDF Lionesses), Witness Mhone (Topik Sisters), Ireen Sibande (Silver Strikers Ladies);
Defenders: Ireen Khumalo & Justina Jumbo (both Silver Strikers Ladies), Rose Alufandika, Olivia Phikani& Lydia Nchochoma (Kukoma Ntopwa), Maggie Chavula & Maureen Kenneth (Ascent Soccer), Martha Mwakikunga (Topik Sisters), Shilla Mangani (Mighty Wanderers);
Midfielders: Leticia Chinyamula (Ascent Soccer) Tendai Sani & Zainab Kapanda (Nyasa Big Bullets Women), Asimenye Simwaka (MDF Lionesses), Tionge Chirwa (Topik Sisters) Faluma Umali (Mighty Wanderers), Jessie Yosefe (Civil Service Women), Sarah Mulimbika (Ndirande), Funny Magombo (Kukoma Ntopwa), Caroline Mathyola (Silver Strikers Ladies);
Strikers: Chisomo Banda (Silver Strikers Ladies), Vitumbiko Mkandawire (Civil Service Women), Sabina Thom (WFC Lanchkhuti).
The friendlies against Banyana Banyana follow two strength-testing matches against Zambia Copper Queens in February, which the Scorchers lost the first 0-2 and won the second 3-2.
The friendly in Zambia
However, the first match was played in two days as it was called off in the 21st minute due to a waterlogged pitch following a heavy downpour that started before the match and never stopped.
It was called off after the Copper Queens had taken the lead and having it been rescheduled for the following day, it resumed at the same result from 22 minutes and after maintaining the 1-0 lead, the hosts scored the second through their top foreign-based star, Racheal Kundananji of Bay FC, USA.
Kundananji was back to haunt the Scorchers again when she scored as early as the 5th minute in the second friendly but the Scorchers, who were without striker, Temwa Chawinga as she returned to the USA as per the arrangement made between FAM with her club, Kansas City Current, fought on.
The Scorchers went for halftime trailing 0-1 but two minutes from resumption, France’s Montpellier’s Rose Kabzere equalised before Ascent Soccer’s Faith Chimzimu sent the team in the lead in the 56th minutes — with DRC’s TP Mazembe Women’s Sabina Thom making it 3-2 in the 58th.
The Zambians then pulled one back in the 80th but the match went the Scorchers way at 3-2 after playing out 9 minutes of added time due to injury stoppages.
Coach Fazili
When they returned home, coach Fazili emphasised the need to plan well by continuing playing international friendly matches as well as analysing Angola’s style of play — saying it will be a tricky fixture, especially since many expected Zimbabwe to progress in their first qualifying round.
In the first first leg of their qualifying round Angola, beat Zimbabwe 2-1 at home in but Zimbabwe also won 2-1 at their home in the second leg for the match to be decided on post-match penalties.
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The Scorchers proceeded to the second round after their first phase opponents, Congo, were officially withdrawn from the race due to what their FA said was lack of competitions and preparation.
“As a coach, I will do my best to assess their strengths and weaknesses,” Fazili was quoted as saying by Fam.mw last month. “It is a very big motivation because after so many years of Malawi not competing in WAfCON qualifiers.”
“We will try as much as possible to have a very strong team to compete with Angola and qualify for WAfCON,” said the coach, whose side last faced Angola in the 2021 COSAFA Cup, where Malawi secured a 2-0 victory.
* Weather update
