30 October 2024 – A place in the final of the COSAFA Women’s Championship in Gqeberha this weekend will be up for grabs when coach Maud Khumalo’s youth charges face Mozambique in the semifinals at Isaac Wolfson Stadium on Thursday. Kickoff is at 15h00.
COSAFA Banyana Banyana have got better with each passing game of the regional tournament and Khumalo will hope that they deliver another top performance tomorrow.
“For us, it is more about knowing what is at stake tomorrow and we’ve planned in such a way that we do not concede early and find ourselves chasing the game,” she told www.safa.net. “We have to be patient and know that it is a do or die game, it’s the knockout stages and it’s another phase of the tournament. So, we have to up our game and showcase that it’s a different phase of the tournament and it’s no longer a group stage game. The players understand this and it’s more about us continuing to play the way we have been playing and be more disciplined in every aspect of the field”.
Khumalo said she has observed her players and analysed where each of them fit on the field, and who to start with when facing different opponents.
“Remember, we prepare according to the opponent. We also look at the players we have in the team, who will be the best players to send out for a particular encounter because each and every player has their game. It also depends on how we want them to play and also looking at the team, if we want them to play a certain way. These are the type of players we need on that particular day”.
COSAFA Banyana have only conceded one goal in this tournament, and it came against Seychelles in the 8- 1 thumping of the islanders during the group stages. The South Africans have been the highest scoring team since the start of tournament with a total of 12 goals.
“We tell the players that this is a big opportunity for them, and they must take it with both hands. It’s more about them representing the country and representing themselves because they never know who’s watching. Whatever they do, they need to be on point and always be hungry to achieve something”.
