Banyana Banyana will be going all out to make a successful start to their Fifa Women’s World Cup campaign against Sweden, one of women’s football heavyweights, in tomorrow’s Group G clash at the Wellington Regional Stadium in New Zealand (kick-off 7am SA time).
But there is broad daylight between South Africa (54) and Sweden (3) on the Fifa world rankings ladder.
That difference could play itself out decisively on the field of play by the time American referee Ekaterina “Katja” Koroleva blows the full-time whistle.
Sweden are overwhelming favourites, and despite their glorious World Cup pedigree they have yet to win the global showpiece. They have made nine World Cup appearances and have one runners-up finish.
They played in 11 European championships and have won once. They have played in seven Olympic Games tournaments and finished as gold medallists once, and are current silver medallists from the Tokyo edition in 2021.
With this track record of playing in high-profile events, the battle-hardened Swedes should have an easy ride against South Africa’s Banyana Banyana, who will be desperate to chalk up their first World Cup win.
In 2019, Banyana made their World Cup debut and failed to win a match in France. The 2023 squad is stronger because more players are plying their trade abroad, and they bring a hardened edge to the team.
That much was evident in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations final againsty Morocco in hostile Rabat, where 50 000 screaming fans tried to unsettle Banyana Banyana.
Coach Desiree Ellis’ team did not manage to outplay Morocco, but they kept their composure and scored the goals to win the title.
With that conquest, South Africa ended decades of heartbreak and won the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations for the first time.
With this hardened edge, they also need to up their concentration levels, which were cruelly exposed when Banyana Banyana played teams like Australia, Brazil and the Netherlands and suffered huge defeats.
After the team dispatched (world No 36) Costa Rica 2-0 in a warm-up friendly a few days ago, the African champions will run out in a confident frame of mind.
At the last World Cup in France in 2019, they lost their warm-up match against Norway 7-2.
Apart from one or two surprise choices in defence, Banyana Banyana fielded their strongest team against the Central Americans last weekend.
After a clean sheet and two goals, it would appear the selection was spot-on.
A feature of the team’s performance against Costa Rica was the play of the three front-runners Thembi Kgatlana, Hildah Magaia and Jermaine Seoposenwe.
They all ran hard at the opposition defence, and Kgatlana’s opening goal was the result of a superb understanding with Magaia and Seoposenwe.
The team will likely settle for a 4-3-3 playing pattern, which has been the case over the past few months.
The three midfielders – captain Refiloe Jane, Linda Motlhalo and Kholosa Biyana – select themselves, and they will be hard-pressed to impose themselves in the engine room.
The experienced Noko Matlou will marshal the defence from a central position alongside Bambanani Mbane.
Bongeke Gamede and Sibulele Holweni will likely be tasked with keeping the threats out on the flanks.
It will be an upset of monumental proportions if Banyana Banyana pull off a miraculous victory, but if they do, it will raise hopes of them reaching the knockout rounds.
@Herman_Gibbs