KOPANO MONAHENG
MZANSI football is booming! And soccer fans have plenty to look forward to as both women’s and men’s national teams prepare for major international tournaments.
For Banyana Banyana, the focus is on the upcoming TotalEnergies Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in July this year.
The much anticipated tournament is scheduled for July 25 – 16 August in Morocco where they will be aiming to compete against the best teams on the African continent.
South Africa has established itself as one of Africa’s leading women’s football nations and will be eager to make another strong impression on the continental stage. Today is a big day for both Banyana and Bafana Bafana as they play their last friendly matches against Jamaica and Japan respectively as they continue their preparations for the upcoming WAFCON and World Cup in America.
The Banyana game will be at Yanmar Hanasaka stadium though kickoff times not yet confirmed for today’s match.
Desiree Ellis’ girls are looking forward to the game.
“It’s always an honour to come back and represent the national team,” says striker Thembi Kgatlana who plays for Mexican club Tigres UANL.
She said they were excited to be playing against bigger sides like Japan to prepare well for their July wafcon.
“We always want to play against the best teams in the world to measure ourselves to see where the progress is and how far we can get to where we want to be.
“There are things that we are working towards in preparation for Wfcon. And I think it was important for us to play a highly ranked team like Japan so that we can prepare mentally, emotionally, and physically as well as tactically, because they come in as a highly ranked team.”
She said that she also loves playing friendlies because there’s no pressure for the result, but you have time to prepare and to plan.
“Yes, is in a couple of months to go, and it gives us enough time to be able to see as players as well on how we feel, on what the coaches are proposing to us and how we can be able to better fit as individuals in what the team needs,” added Kgatlana.
While teammates, Asanda Hadebe and Andile Dhlamini, believe to conquer the African continent they needed to test themselves against the best sides in the world.
Meanwhile, Bafana Bafana are preparing for the biggest stage in world football after securing qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Bafana are playing tonight as well against Jamaica and kickoff is at 11pm.
They’re playing under closed doors at Estadio Hidalgo, Pachuca in Mexico.
The world cup presents an opportunity for Bafana to test itself against the best nations in the world and showcase the country’s football talent on a global platform. These competitions are important not only for the players and coaching staff but also for South African football as a whole.
Kgatlana said friendly matches against top-ranked nations can help players gain valuable experience before the major tournaments begin.
As the nation, we will be hoping that both teams represent the nation with pride, determination, and passion.
