Banyana Banyana’s youthful side delivered a mature performance to edge Lesotho in the first of two friendlies at the University of Johannesburg Soweto Campus on Saturday.
South Africa continued their dominance over Lesotho with a 1-0 win, with both sides set to meet again on Tuesday at the same venue. Under Desiree Ellis' leadership, expectations have not only been surpassed, but she has also set a new benchmark for success in recent years.
The Banyana coach will soon be tasked with leading her team to glory once again as they prepare to defend their Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title in Morocco later this year.
The team has been making significant progress, and having already made history as the first-ever South African football team to reach the last 16 of the Fifa World Cup, adding another WAFCON title could elevate their status as the country’s most successful national football team.
Missing several regular players for the two-legged encounter against the 37th-ranked Lesotho side, a few young prospects stepped up and made a case for future selection as Ellis looks to expand her talent pool.
Mamelodi Sundowns FC’s Katlego Malebana was among those who impressed, but it was a goal from the penalty spot by Nobahle Mdelwa in the 50th minute that secured the all-important win after several close but unsuccessful attempts.
Ellis was pleased with her team's efforts despite having limited time to prepare for the match.
“There were some good moments, and there were some not-so-good moments. But I think the not-so-good moments came from a lack of movement off the ball because when we had movement, we could move the ball around, and when we did that, we looked good,” Ellis said.
“But I’m happy with what we did this week. There were some things that worked and some that didn’t. But as I said, it was a short period with a young group, and we just wanted them to play. We said, ‘Let’s just go out and play.’”
South Africa are ranked second in Africa behind Nigeria, and despite fielding a young side, they were still expected to overcome a Lesotho team that also featured many young players. However, the task was not as straightforward as anticipated.
The former Banyana captain had to make several tactical adjustments during the match, which ultimately paid off.
“I thought that if we moved a little bit more — especially the two wingers, who were very stagnant up front and didn’t give us much in the first half — we could play better. The minute they dropped deeper, we were able to move the ball around, right?
“When we lost the ball, they didn’t help us much there either. But I thought we had control. At times, it’s not our style to play long balls, but when they can’t find anyone, that’s what they do.”