Banyana Banyana’s preparations for TotalEnergies Women Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) got off to a good start, with a 3-2 triumph over their neighbouring cross-borders, Botswana.
The international friendly at the Lucas Moripe Stadium on Wednesday night forms part of the three-nation friendly matches, which also involves Zambia.
With less than two months before the Wafcon starts in Morocco, scheduled for July 5-26, Banyana, who are the titleholders needed nothing but victory against Botswana, as that is a motivation on its own ahead of the continental showdown.
Jamaine Seopesenwe scored a brace during the match against Botswana, with the other goal coming from Adrielle Mibe.
With their next friendly match taking place on Tuesday against Zambia at the same venue (Lucas Moripe), coach Desiree Ellis is hopeful that the team will have learnt from their mistakes, which saw them concede two easy goals against Botswana in the first friendly.
“We played very well against Botswana, and the players did their best to score those three goals, but the fact that we conceded two easy goals calls for a concern,” said Ellis.
The tournament in Morocco was supposed to have been played last year but was postponed to this year as it was clashing with the Olympic Games in Paris.
Banyana have been fixtured in an unpredictable Group C against Ghana, Mali and Tanzania.
“It’s not going to be as easy as walking in the park, more so because you are only as good as your last game,” said the award-winning Banyana coach.
Banyana braved the intimidating crowd under a vibrant atmosphere at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium to beat hosts Morocco 2-1 in the final match to lift the continental title in 2022.
This year’s competition will be played in six venues, with Casablanca providing two venues, the Barbie Zaouli and Pere Jego Stadiums, with the other venues being Olympia Stadium in Rabat, El Bachir Stadium (Mohammedia), Honor Stadium (Oujda) and Berkane Stadium (Berkane).
