Banyana Banyana coach Maude Khumalo is banking on her team’s character and courage to guide them in the Cosafa Cup final against Zambia at Isaac Wolfson Stadium in KwaZakhele this afternoon at 3pm.
The South Africans finished top of Group A - beating Namibia, Eswatini and Seychelles.
In the semi-final they beat Mozambique 4-1 on penalties after the match ended 1-1 in regulation time.
And while they’ll been favourites to win the crown – for the first time since 2020 – they also didn’t have seamless preparations en route to their first final since 2022.
Their squad is largely made up of Hollywoodbets Super League players, a league which came into a halt just two days before their first game in the Windy City.
However, Khumalo, who was also with her University of Pretoria (UP) side in the Super League before standing in for head coach Desiree Ellis, lauded her team’s attitude.
“I am very much happy with the technical team and everybody who has been supporting the team and the people from Gqeberha. They kept us going,” Khumalo said.
“The logistics were not favouring us, but I love the character and courage of the players. They showed that coach we are going to go there and fight.
“We know that we are representing the country. It doesn’t matter whether we have trained or not. The Hollywoodbets Super League, Sasol League and Varsity Football are doing wonders.”
COSAFA Women's Championship final here we come.... pic.twitter.com/9ZUfLjmFai
— Banyana_Banyana (@Banyana_Banyana) November 1, 2024
Khumalo is right. Banyana might have not had a lot of time to gel together as a team, but they’ve played as a unit, thanks to the people of Gqeberha who’ve rallied behind them.
Captain Thalea Smidt knows that the team hasn’t done well in previous years in the tournament, and so, her leadership will be key.