South Africa: Banyana Banyana Ready to Rise Up the Rankings At the CAF African Women Championship

Photo: SAFA
South Africa women's national senior socccer Banyana Banyana crush Democratic Republic of Congo to book semi-final spot

Banyana Banyana will be looking to further climb up the FIFA world rankings and end a busy 2012 football year on a successful note when they compete at the CAF African Women Championship 2012 in Equatorial Guinea from October 28 to November 11.The 21-member Sasol-sponsored national senior women's football team fly out of Johannesburg on Friday, 19 October 2012 to continue their preparations in hot climatic conditions in Cameroon, before flying to Equatorial Guinea on 25 October 2012.

Banyana Banyana have been drawn in Group A and will face hosts Equatorial Guinea in Malabo on October 28, Senegal in Malabo on October 31, and will travel to Bata for their encounter with DR Congo on November 3.

A good run of form will see the South Africans play in the semi-finals in either Malabo or Bata on November 7, with the 3rd/4th place playoff and the title decider both scheduled for Malabo on November 11.

Banyana Banyana obtained their best placed finish at the CAF African Women Championship 2000, in going down 2-0 to hosts Nigeria, and lost 2-1 in the final of the 2008 African showpiece to hosts Equatorial Guinea. At the CAF African Women Championship 2010 held in Ekurhuleni near Johannesburg, the South Africans ended third.

The travelling party includes most of the players who represented SA at the London Olympics in July, plus three new caps in the Durban Ladies (Sasol League KwaZulu Natal) pair of striker Silindile Ngubane and defender Charlotte Mshengu, plus national under 17 team goalkeeper Katlego Moletsane (High Performance Centre, Tshwane).

Ngubane, who netted the equaliser goal in SA's 1-all draw with Zimbabwe in an international friendly played in Daveyton near Johannesburg on Tuesday, 16 October 2012, has proved her worth with a high work rate and goal-scoring keenness during her two caps as a second half substitute over the past week.She was drafted into the national team camp at the start of October, after being identified at the Sasol League National Championships held in Durban in July where she finished as the tournament's top goal-scorer, having netted 11 goals for Durban Ladies."Banyana Banyana go to the CAF African Women Championship 2012 ranked 56th in the world and 4th in Africa with our world ranking having improved by five places after our matches played at the Olympics," said Banyana Banyana head coach Joseph Mkhonza."Safa and Sasol need to be thanked for their commitment in allowing the Banyana Banyana players to stay in camp for the entire October to prepare for the CAF African Women Championship 2012, and we hope that we can do SA proud and move a few further places up the world rankings." Banyana Banyana team

Banyana Banyana will be looking to further climb up the FIFA world rankings and end a busy 2012 football year on a successful note when they compete at the CAF African Women Championship 2012 in Equatorial Guinea from October 28 to November 11.The 21-member Sasol-sponsored national senior women's football team fly out of Johannesburg on Friday, 19 October 2012 to continue their preparations in hot climatic conditions in Cameroon, before flying to Equatorial Guinea on 25 October 2012.

Banyana Banyana have been drawn in Group A and will face hosts Equatorial Guinea in Malabo on October 28, Senegal in Malabo on October 31, and will travel to Bata for their encounter with DR Congo on November 3.

A good run of form will see the South Africans play in the semi-finals in either Malabo or Bata on November 7, with the 3rd/4th place playoff and the title decider both scheduled for Malabo on November 11.

Banyana Banyana obtained their best placed finish at the CAF African Women Championship 2000, in going down 2-0 to hosts Nigeria, and lost 2-1 in the final of the 2008 African showpiece to hosts Equatorial Guinea. At the CAF African Women Championship 2010 held in Ekurhuleni near Johannesburg, the South Africans ended third.

The travelling party includes most of the players who represented SA at the London Olympics in July, plus three new caps in the Durban Ladies (Sasol League KwaZulu Natal) pair of striker Silindile Ngubane and defender Charlotte Mshengu, plus national under 17 team goalkeeper Katlego Moletsane (High Performance Centre, Tshwane).

Ngubane, who netted the equaliser goal in SA's 1-all draw with Zimbabwe in an international friendly played in Daveyton near Johannesburg on Tuesday, 16 October 2012, has proved her worth with a high work rate and goal-scoring keenness during her two caps as a second half substitute over the past week.She was drafted into the national team camp at the start of October, after being identified at the Sasol League National Championships held in Durban in July where she finished as the tournament's top goal-scorer, having netted 11 goals for Durban Ladies."Banyana Banyana go to the CAF African Women Championship 2012 ranked 56th in the world and 4th in Africa with our world ranking having improved by five places after our matches played at the Olympics," said Banyana Banyana head coach Joseph Mkhonza."Safa and Sasol need to be thanked for their commitment in allowing the Banyana Banyana players to stay in camp for the entire October to prepare for the CAF African Women Championship 2012, and we hope that we can do SA proud and move a few further places up the world rankings."

Banyana Banyana team

Goalkeepers:

Thokozile Mndaweni

(University of Johannesburg, Gauteng)

Andile Dlamini

(Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies, Gauteng)

Katlego Moletsane

(High Performance Centre, Tshwane)

Defenders:

Nothando Vilakazi

(Palace Super Falcons, Gauteng)

Amanda Sister

(Liverpool Ladies, Eastern Cape)

Janine van Wyk (v.c)

(Palace Super Falcons, Gauteng)

Zamandosi Cele

(Durban Ladies, KwaZulu Natal)

Refiloe Jane

(Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies, Gauteng)

Lebogang Mabatle

(Hallelujah Zebra Force, Gauteng)

Charlotte Mshengu

(Durban Ladies, KwaZulu Natal)

Midfielders:

Leandra Smeda

(Cape Town Roses, Western Cape)

Nocawe Skiti

(Cape Town Roses, Western Cape)

Amanda Dlamini (c)

(University of Johannesburg, Gauteng)

Gabisile Hlumbane

(Kovsies Ladies, Free State)

Yola Jafta

(University of Johannesburg, Gauteng)

Strikers:

Noko Matlou

(University of Johannesburg, Gauteng)

Portia Modise

(Palace Super Falcons, Gauteng)

Andiswe Mgcoyi

(Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies, Gauteng)

Silindile Ngubane

(Durban Ladies, KwaZulu Natal)

Sanah Mollo

(Bloemfontein Celtics Ladies, Free State)

Jermaine Seoposenwe

(Spurs WFC, Western Cape)

  • Comment

Copyright © 2012 South African Football Association. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.

AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 130 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.

Comments Post a comment

InFocus

Equatorial Guinea Beats Banyana Banyana to Become African Queens

picture

Equatorial Guinea has scored a resounding victory over Banyana Banyana in the finals of the African Women's Championships. Read more »

South Africa: Banyana Crush DRC to Book Semi-Final Spot

picture

The country's national women soccer team booked themselves a place in the semi-finals of the CAF African Women's Championship 2012, after outplaying the Democratic Republic of ... Read more »