Sasol Banyana Banyana in training as coach Desiree Ellis puts her players through their paces.
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Banyana Banyana's preparations to min back the Women's Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) crown enter a crucial phase on Saturday when they face Asian champions Japan in Osaka.
Coach Desiree Ellis has made no secret of the importance of the two-match friendly series, viewing it as the ideal opportunity to gauge her side's readiness ahead of Wafcon, which gets underway at the end of July.
South Africa will take on Japan at the Yanmar Hanasaka Stadium in the first of two friendlies at the weekend before meeting the same opponents again on Tuesday in a match scheduled to kick off at 8.50am South African time and will be broadcast live on SABC 3.
For Ellis, the challenge of facing one of the world's leading teams offers more than just a competitive fixture.
"We've done quite a bit of analysis in training so I think we're ready for it," Ellis said.
"But we only played one game this season and we have a few players returning from injury so we're going to have to see how that goes."
The South African coach believes the encounter will provide valuable lessons ahead of the continental tournament, where Banyana will be aiming to retain the title they won in 2022.
"We have a game plan and we have to stick to it but we are playing the Asian champions. And they just recently became champions so we are aware of their strengths.
"Hopefully this helps us in how we approach the game going into Wafcon. Every opponent we play, we try to take something from that and move forward."
The trip to Japan presents its own challenges, particularly the long travel time and significant time difference. However, Ellis remains confident that the squad's support staff have managed the situation effectively.
"Our staff is on it monitoring the team but I think everyone is fairly well rested," she added.
A lack of match action remains one of the biggest concerns for Banyana. The national side has played only once this year, leaving questions about match fitness and sharpness against elite opposition.
Yet Ellis has repeatedly shown an ability to mould competitive teams regardless of circumstances, and the return of several players from injury could prove a timely boost.
With less than two months before WAFCON begins, the Japan series offers Banyana a chance to rediscover their rhythm, test themselves against world-class opposition and build momentum for another assault on continental glory.