7 March 2025 – South African U17 women’s national team coach Ntombifuthi Khumalo has been quietly preparing her players ahead of their FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup qualifier against Nigeria at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Saturday, and she said they are completely focused on their goal.
The South Africans have their eye on a third FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup and Khumalo said they have been hard at work in camp since this past weekend.
“We want to go to the World Cup. Our plan is to make sure that after each and every 15-minute period, we introduce how we defend, so that we don’t concede,” she said.
“We will play high and attack, because at the end of the day, we can’t win the game if we don’t try to create opportunities to score. But the main focus is to make sure we don’t concede, and we reinforce our defense. We did most of the tactical work, and it was on how we defend, and try to press high. We saw them when they played in the tournament in January, how they are good when they attacked, so we were working on it. But so far, I’m happy about the girls.”
The Nigerians have settled in SA after arriving a few days ago.
The full squad:
1) SAMKELISIWE MTHEMBU – JVW FC
2) SPHEMELELE ANGEL ZIBULA – SAFA ACADEMY
3) DAKALO ZINHLE MAFUMO – SAFA ACADEMY
4) BONOLO MOKOMA – JVW FC
5) REESE KRISTIN EGBERINK – RANDBURG FC
6) NTOKOZO PARADZAYI – Hallelujah Zebra Force
7) NAYLENE MORGAN – SAFA ACADEMY
8) SETHABILE KAMWANDE MAMELODI SUNDOWNS FC
9) MICHAELA AGATHA SWARTS – MAMELODI SUNDOWNS FC
10) RETHABILE ELIZABETH – MOLEFE SAFA ACADEMY
11) THORISHO MPHELO – JVW FC
12 ANDISWA ZUMA – DLALA NTOMBAZANA
13) COURTNEY JACOBUS – SAFA ACADEMY
14) BUSISIWE MOKOENA – MAMELODI SUNDOWNS FC
15) TSHIAMO KEKANA – UNIVERITY OF PRETORIA
16) KATLEHO MALEBANA – MAMELODI SUNDOWNS FC
17) KATLEGO MOHALE – JVW FC
18) NOMFUNDO NOTHANDO NZUZA – SAFA ACADEMY
19) ZOE OCTOBER – SPURS WFC
20) LEONAY CHERRYL KOCK – SAFA ACADEMY
21) NOBAHLE MDELWA – UNIVERSITY OF JOHANNESBURG
22) KHWEZI KHOZA – DURBAN LADIES
23) MMARITA MERRY MALATJI – DZ MOVERS FC
