Three-time CAF Champions League-winning coach Pitso Mosimane says the South Africa Women’s National Team, Banyana Banyana, are the flag-bearers of football success and pride in the country right now.
Banyana who sealed a place in the 2023 FIFA World Cup last week with a win over Tunisia to enter the semi-finals of the Women’s African Cup of Nations, are now heading to the Mundial for the second consecutive time and reached the last four in ten of their 12 campaigns at the continental showpiece.
Head Coach Desiree Ellis – who notably dedicated the latest mark of success to those in South Africa who have not even been able to watch the football due to load-shedding – is also on course for a third CAF Women’s Coach of the Year honour.
Bafana Bafana have been on a decline over the past two decades which has brought pain and misery to a football-loving nation ie South Africa, where sport is known as a unifying tool that can make or break the morale of the country.
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While the Springboks have instilled pride and a fierce sense of patriotism, Banyana has been the beacon of light in football, shining on the continent. And while there have been countless near misses for the title, Mosimane feels they have earned respect for their consistency and restored the pride of the nation.
“I’m proud of Desiree and the girls, they have kept our hopes alive [and] at this point in time we have to be honest, they are the flagship of South African football,” Mosimane tells iDiski Times.
“Who else in the international space? At the moment for our national teams. They are the flagship of SA football in fact – let’s leave national teams. If we have to look up to a team that will go at continental and international FIFA competitions, the only team is Banyana at this moment.
“Maybe in the near future, we will have a few teams coming up [club and country] at international tournaments but they are the only…I mean if you look at the World Cup and CAF semi-finals, it’s Banyana.
“Yes women’s football has outdone themselves, especially with the programs that they have, even though some of these girls are coming from that U17 team that was beaten really badly at the World Cup. But it was a learning curve for them and look at the experience they got – these are the lessons learnt.”
This story first appeared in the latest edition of iDiski Times, out now at Shoprite (Gauteng only).
