The Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) is only taking place in 2024, but Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis already believes that defending the title will be difficult.
Banyana were crowned African champions after beating host nation Morocco 2-1 in the 2022 Wafcon edition.
South Africans will embark on a tour to the US to face third-ranked Americans in a double header of their international friendlies next Friday and Sunday.
It has been less than two months since Banyana’s heroics at the women’s World Cup, where Banyana set the bar high.
Even though it is premature to already engage in a conversation about the continental competition, Ellis said there will be pressure to retain the crown.
“I think Wafcon is very far away, it is only next year, but we have a final qualifier in November and December,” Ellis told Sunday World recently.
“We only look at what is in front of us to prepare for that, because we want to make sure that we secure qualification before going to the tournament.
“We have a tour to the US, the Cosafa, the Olympic qualifiers, and then the Wafcon qualifiers. The USA is idle preparation to make us ready for that.
“Make no mistake, there is going to be pressure in going back to the Wafcon and wanting to retain it because that is the most difficult, everybody wants to knock you out.
“The group is very level-headed. They take it in their stride and face what is ahead of them and then carry on with what happens after.
“But there is going to be pressure, not just from the fans but everybody else.”
The friendly match will also be a send-off for women’s football activist and US all-time great Megan Rapinoe, who announced recently that she will be hanging up her boots at the end of the National Women’s Soccer League in November.
The fixtures are scheduled to take place at the TQL Stadium in Cincinnati (1.30pm SA time) and in Chicago at the 61 500-seater Soldier Field Stadium (11.30pm SA time).
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