Africa-Press – South-Africa. Banyana Banyana came down to earth in the most painful manner as South Africa were soundly beaten 3-0 by Brazil in an international friendly at a sparsely attended Orlando Stadium on Friday.
In a clash between the Copa American women’s champions and the Women’s African Cup of Nations queens, the class of the Brazilians shone through.
Brazil is ranked ninth in the world to South Africa’s 54th and this big gap became prevalent throughout the game.
It was Banyana’s first game since being crowned Women’s Afcon champions in Morocco and the result left them with a mountain to climb in order to be ready for next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Brazil had the bulk of the chances, Banyana only had two half-chances as the 2-0 half-time deficit was indicative of Brazil’s dominance and SA’s tenacity.
Brazil’s two first-half goals from Geyse in the 42nd minute and Adriana three minutes later spoke volumes as to how Banyana simply couldn’t defend the entire game.
Once Brazil got a feel of the pitch and the drastically cooler late-winter conditions, they got into their goal-hunting act.
When Adriana put a header just wide of Andile Dlamini’s net in the sixth minute, the warning lights were already flashing for the hosts.
The class of Brazil immediately went for the midfield and defensive jugular. They pressed high and flooded the midfield.
Banyana, with Refiloe Jane standing her ground in the middle of the park, were equal to the task in the latter.
It was in the former department where the hosts were found wanting.
During Wafcon, only Nigeria dared to high-press Banyana into submission, but even then, they couldn’t contain Banyana’s silky build-ups from the back.
There were none of those luxuries in this game as Brazil, with their superior pace, height, tactics and physique, kept the hosts pressed in their half.
This was indicative of the multitude of chances they created but just couldn’t convert.
Banyana lived on a wing and a prayer until three minutes before the break when Geyse slapped a volley onto the roof of Dlamini’s net via the crossbar.
Banyana’s unbending defensive spirit was broken and when they erred at the back, Adriana was on hand to slam the ball into the back of the net on the stroke of half-time.
The game was done as a contest from that point on, but Brazil looked for more goals to press home their superiority.
That third goal did come through Kathellen in the 64th minute after Banyana committed another defensive error.
That left the game in no doubt as to where it was headed, but Banyana continued fighting. Jermaine Seoposenwe, who showed she belongs at this level, had a chance in the 77th minute, but that went wide.
She was then fouled by Brazil keeper Lorena da Silva in the 82nd minute, but the resultant free kick from Hildah Magaia also went narrowly wide.
That chance, along with Noxolo Cesane’s 34th-minute snapshot that nearly caught Lorena out of position and Magaia’s indecisiveness in the 30th minute, when she had a one-on-one with Lorena were the highlights of Banyana’s educational night out.
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