Johannesburg - Banyana Banyana interim coach Desiree Ellis will use the friendly against France, on January 22 in Reunion, as a yardstick to see how far the team has progressed while also looking at what needs to be added in the next four years.
Despite Ellis' uncertain future, with Safa yet to officially name her as the head coach on a permanent basis, the former Banyana captain is acting like she already has the job – looking at the bigger picture rather than just viewing this match as another friendly.
That's vital because Banyana won't be that active in 2017 as they were this year, playing in the Olympics and the Africa Women Cup of Nations (AWC). The next cycle starts in 2017 before the 2018 AWC in Ghana which serves as qualifiers for the 2019 World Cup in France. The next four years will culminate with the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
Banyana will look to not only qualify but leave a mark in those three tournaments because they failed to make much of an impact in the last four years. They returned from the Olympics without finding the back of the net, while they finished fourth in the AWC in Cameroon because of their poor display in front of goal. They didn't even qualify for the 2015 World Cup.
To improve that, Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies' mobile and strong striker, Rhoda Mulaudzi, has been roped into the squad that will take on France to bring much-needed firepower. Mulaudzi missed out on the squad that played in the AWC. Jermaine Seoposenwe and Andisiwe Mgcoyi, who did battle in Cameroon, retained their places. But there was still no place for former captain Amanda Dlamini.
Dlamini was dropped for the AWC after she couldn't travel with the team for a friendly against Zimbabwe just before Banyana departed for Cameroon because of business engagements. Her absence was evident in the AWC as Banyana struggled to break down stubborn opponents without a commanding figure to pull the strings in midfield. But Ellis has moved quickly to dismiss that this marks the end of Dlamini's tenure at Banyana.
"This does not in any way mean that those who are not in the current squad are out of the picture, they still feature in the national team but we also have to look ahead to ensure that we have a strong base for the future," Ellis said.
"We know what most of these other players can do, so this is a perfect opportunity to check others. The door can never be closed on any anyone who still has something to offer the national team."
The group of 22 players who will take on France is largely made up of players who featured in the AWC with a sprinkling of newcomers who impressed at the Sasol League National Championship which were held in Mossel Bay earlier this month. Those new faces are Zenhle Chabaku of tournament winners' Bloemfontein Celtic Ladies and Gabriela Salgado from the losing finalists JVW FC.
“We need to see how much depth we have as a country and there is no better time than now to start implementing that process," Ellis said. "Watching some of them play at the national play-offs is way different compared to seeing them line up against the likes of France, in this way we are able to map our way forward.”
Banyana will go into camp in the next two weeks. But the players have been given a program to follow before they fly to Reunion, a French territory that's just off the coast of Madagascar.
Banyana Banyana Squad:
Goalkeepers: Andile Dlamini (Mamelodi Sundowns); Roxanne Barker (SC Heerenveen, Netherlands); Yolula Tsawe (JVW, Johannesburg)
Defenders: 4. Nothando Vilakazi (Palace Super Falcons), Janine Van Wyk (JVW), Bambanani Mbane, Zenhle Chabaku (both Bloemfontein Celtic), Lebogang Mabatle (TUKS), Noko Matlou and Lebohang Ramalepe (both Ma-Indies FC),
Midfielders: Nompumelelo Nyandeni, Linda Mothlalo, Gabriela Salgado (all JVW), Leandra Smeda, Thembi Kgatlana (both UWC Ladies), Refiloe Jane (Mamelodi Sundowns), Silindile Ngubane (Durban Ladies)
Strikers: Rhoda Mulaudzi, Andisiwe Mgcoyi (both Mamelodi Sundowns), Jermaine Seoposenwe (Samford University, USA), Shiwe Nogwanya (Bloemfontein Celtic), Bontle Mashilo (TUT-Pretoria)