By Adeleye Kunle
The injury to Thembi Kgatlana threw a wrench in the Banyana Banyana camp’s plans.
A ruptured Achilles tendon will keep the reigning CAF African Women Player of the Year out for nearly six months, delaying her arrival at her new club Racing Louisville in America’s National Women’s Soccer League.
The 2018 TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations finalists were hoping to build on Kgatlana’s performance from the previous edition and, while this is a huge loss for South Africa, it will provide an opportunity for other players in the squad to get more playing time without being overshadowed.
Banyana has already had six different goal scorers in the competition, including Kgatlana, and the five others can help fill the void left by the former Atletico Madrid star.
Nthabiseng Majiya, the team’s youngest player, will almost certainly be given more game time, especially after scoring the lone goal that ensured Banyana finished first in Group C. Getting her first international goal will boost her confidence for the rest of the competition.
Linda Motlhalo’s experience in Sweden will be crucial in leading the team forward, and having already scored in the competition is a plus.
Melinda Kgadiete of Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies had a stellar tournament at the inaugural CAF Women’s Champions League, having entered the main competition as the Cosafa region qualifiers’ golden boot winner, and her experience in the competition will come in handy, even though she has yet to score in the Wafcon.
Jermaine Seoposenwe, who limped off the field in Banyana’s last group match against Botswana with an ankle injury, could be a cause for concern.
Despite the fact that she has returned to training with the team, there is no indication that she will be match fit for their quarterfinal match against Tunisia.
Although they have yet to appear on a scoresheet in the tournament, Noxolo Cesane, Sibulele Holweni, and captain Refiloe Jane are the other players who can unsettle any defender and create goal scoring chances, if not score goals themselves.
However, the emphasis should not be solely on the front end, as ensuring that the team does not concede will be critical in securing the team’s second consecutive Fifa Women’s World Cup appearance.
Goalkeeper Andile Dlamini has been excellent for Banyana, and this is not a position that coach Desiree Ellis should experiment with in the knockout stages.
Bambanani Mbane, Lebohang Ramalepe, and veteran Noko Matlou have also performed admirably in defense to ensure the back line is well protected.
