Johannesburg - Overseas-based goalkeeper Roxanne Barker has been named interim captain of the South African women's soccer team that will take on Zimbabwe in an international friendly match at the Dobsonville Stadium in Soweto on Saturday (kick-off 1.30pm).
Banyana Banyana head coach Vera Pauw will lead Banyana Banyana
for the first time since her appointment last month. Pauw is aiming to build a formidable squad for the 2014 edition of the CAF African Women's Championship to be staged in Namibia later this year.
Banyana Banyana will be without the services of current captain, Janine van Wyk, due to a knee injury and Mamelodi Sundowns' midfielder Busisiwe Ndimeni, who sustained an injury in the friendly match against the School of Excellence Under-16 side.
“It is very important to be playing a competitive game and it will be a test to see how far we have come in terms of having an organised team on the field and playing structured football,” Pauw said.
Barker said she was excited to be leading Banyana Banyana in the friendly and said it would be a proud moment for her to lead the team against Zimbabwe.
“This is a very important game in showing the coach that we understand the structured type of football she wants us to play. Zimbabwe have not been easy opponents, but we want to play for a win and from there see where we need to improve, going forward,” said Barker.
Sapa