Johannesburg - South Africa have finalised their 23-player squad for the Cosafa Women’s Championship which takes place in Gqeberha from 31 August to 11 September.
Banyana Banyana will not include players that were part of the recent squad which won the Women's Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. Caf Women's Coach of the Year Desiree Ellis will also be absent.
Interim Banyana coach Simphiwe Dludlu, the SA Under-17 women's mentor, will be at the helm.
Ellis and Banyana’s first-choice players are busy preparing for the World Cup that New Zealand and Australia will jointly host in July next year.
Safa are in the process of securing friendlies for the team as part of the World Cup preparations. First up will be the 2022 Copa America Femenina winners Brazil who will come to SA next month for a friendly in Durban.
There has been speculation that Banyana could play friendlies in October in London against Australia and England who won the Uefa Women’s Euro last month.
The Banyana technical team will be keeping tabs on the performances of the Cosafa Cup team, and players who excel could force their way into the squad that is preparing for the World Cup.
It will not be the first time that SA, seven-time Cosafa Cup winners, will field a weakened team. A few years ago, SA sent the Under-20 squad to present the country.
Banyana will be the No 1 ranked team at the event, which will be staged for the 10th time. Banyana are No 2 in Africa and 54 in the world. The only other country inside the top 100 is Zambia, Africa’s No 10, and No 80 in the world.
Banyana open their account against Angola in a Group A match on Wednesday at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. The other two Group A teams are Mauritius and Mozambique.
South Africa's Cosafa Cup squad, goalkeepers: Kebotseng Moletsane, Dineo Magagula and Tshidi Muruoa
Defenders: Fikile Magama, Cimone Sauls, Koketso Tlailane, Dineo Sharol Ramaoka, Nothando Vilakazi, Medembe Tshikumbu, Lonathemba Mhlongo, Thato Letsoso, Portia Masilela
Midfielders: Jamie-Leigh WitbooiSphumelele Shamase, Khanyisa Manengela, Mmabatho Mogale, Sinazo Ntshota, Busisiwe Ndimeni, Refilwe Maseko
Forwards: Zethembiso Vilakazi, Michelle Sampson, Lizza Mokoena, Lithemba Sam-Sam
IOL Sport