Africa-Press – Eswatini. Despite a good performance from South Africa’s Banyana Banyana, winning 3-0; they join Eswatini in bowing out of the Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) Cup Women Championships. The two sides were fighting for the best runner-up place after Malawi won the group, but they both exited the tournament after the group decider in Soweto, South Africa (SA) yesterday. Sitsebe ended the tournament with three points out of a possible nine, while SA finished with six. The South Africans were quick off the mark to punish Eswatini in the fourth minute, courtesy of great footwork from hat-trick star Thubelihle Shamase, as she beat one defender before curling the ball to the far right side of the goalpost, beating Gcinile Dlamini to make it 1-0.
Banyana were enjoying possession as Eswatini failed to string more than 10 passes. Their opponents on the other hand were very protective of the ball as they rotated it with ease from left to right and vice versa. The Zwelibandzi Khoza-led side played more overhead balls than they did on the ground, which was one of the things Khoza mentioned they wanted to rectify. Banyana scored their second early goal seven minutes, after the first as Shamase registered her brace in the 11th minute. Eswatini improved tactically and defensively as they were able to keep SA at bay for the remainder of the first half.
Better
The second half was much better for Sitsebe Semhlekazi as they only conceded one goal in the 54th minute through Shamase, to get her hat-trick. South Africa Coach Desiree Ellis opted to give her second choice shot-stopper game time as well as register her first cap for her country as FIFA now recognises the COSAFA tournament at an international level. SA finished the game in the driving seat of the game, with over 70 per cent possession and Shamase as the Player of the Match.
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