South Africa Prepared To Face Girls’s World Cup Stress

South Africa stumbled on the first hurdle once they made their Girls’s World Cup debut in 2019 however the crew will head to this yr’s match with rather more confidence and a distinct mindset as they be taught to deal with the strain of being regional champions at international soccer’s showpiece occasion.

Nicknamed ‘Banyana Banyana’, the crew completed backside of their group on the 2019 World Cup in France as they misplaced all their three video games and managed to attain solely as soon as.

However they didn’t let the frustration put them down.

South Africa went on to win their first Girls’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title final yr – establishing their dominance forward of this yr’s World Cup, which is able to happen in Australia and New Zealand from July 20 to August 20.

“There’s clearly strain as a result of now Africa is seeking to see nice a outcome from us,” goalkeeper Andile Dlamini informed FIFA+ in an interview on Wednesday. “Not solely our nation however all of Africa as a result of we’re African champions.

“We go on the market understanding that we’re going to compete with everybody on the similar degree.”

At this yr’s World Cup, South Africa will start their Group G marketing campaign towards world quantity three Sweden earlier than going through Argentina and Italy. It will likely be South Africa’s solely second World Cup look.

Dlamini, who was a part of the WAFCON-winning crew, stated a tricky problem awaits them.

“I believe they’re robust opponents, however we’re additionally there for a motive. That is our second time and something is feasible when it’s 11 v 11 on that subject of play. It’ll be a tricky one, however we’re additionally prepared for it,” the 30-year-old added.

Whereas their marketing campaign in 2019 was underwhelming, the gamers have learnt their classes. Dlamini stated their greatest takeaway was to transform their goal-scoring possibilities.

“Additionally, we have to play extra compact and never lose self-discipline on the sphere of play. We have to perceive that the World Cup isn’t the identical as some other degree,” she defined.

Coach Desiree Ellis, who has been on the helm since 2016, has performed an enormous function within the crew’s progress and influenced the character of girls’s soccer in South Africa.

“I believe she simply modified how soccer is in South Africa. We’ve been doing nice below her supervision, and I believe she and her technical crew deserves a spherical of applause for his or her arduous work,” Dlamini added.

Referred to as ‘Dez’ by the gamers, the long-serving coach has constructed a family-like bond.

“When gamers need to play for you, it’s as a result of you may have created that bond and also you perceive that I’m your mom and you’re my youngsters. All of us make errors and all of us do an entire lot of issues. However each participant desires to be blissful, and with Banyana Banyana, we’re blissful,” Dlamini stated.