Banyana Banyana are not putting themselves under extra pressure at the Cosafa Championship ahead of their clash against Namibia, in Gqeberha, on Tuesday evening.
Despite their heavyweight status among the Southern African nations competing at the tournament, Banyana crashed out in the group stage last year.
Though their preparation has also been less than ideal, Banyana are quietly confident about their chances according to interim coach Maude Khumalo.
This comes after the team first gathered in Gqeberha on Sunday, leaving little time to prepare for their contest against Namibia.
#OTD two years ago we witnessed many emotions at the #TotalEnergiesWAFCON final between @Banyana_Banyana and Morocco. 🔥
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‘Relaxed and focused’
“To be honest with you, we are in a relaxed mood, in the right set of mind,” said Khumalo.
“We know that we have a few hours to play our first game of the tournament, which is very crucial. In this camp, everybody is ready, everybody is relaxed and focused.”
Without mentioning their massive under performance last year, Khumalo said she hoped to inspire the nation this time around.
“Definitely, we have to lift the hopes of South Africans, and also it is going to give us the right direction in terms of next year’s Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco. Remember, as I said previously, I said that everyone who plays against us, they are going to come at us strong.
“So, we are ready mentally and physically, and the girls are ready to go out there to represent the country.”
Cosafa Banyana captain Thalea Smidt said: “We have not really had as much time as we would have desired, but I think we must just make use of the time that we had.
“I think we did what was important and what would be important for us during the game and what would be needed from us during the game.
“Obviously, the main focus for us these past few days was on the preparations for Namibia because that is our first game. It is currently the most important game because it is the game that is going to set the tone for us in the tournament.”