Banyana Banyana Secure Narrow Victory Over Lesotho In Friendly Match

Banyana Banyana worked hard to secure a 1-0 victory over Lesotho in their women's international friendly at the UJ Soweto Campus on Saturday. A Nobahle Mdelwa spot-kick separated the two sides in the first of two friendlies, with the second set for Tuesday at the same venue.

Coming into the match, Banyana had historically dominated their opponents, with their last encounter ending in a commanding 3-0 win for South Africa in 2020.

In a battle of future stars, both teams fielded youthful squads, with South Africa focused on developing and adding options to their Women's Africa Cup of Nations WAFCON team later this year in Morocco.

Head coach Desiree Ellis was vocal about wanting a strong performance from her squad, despite many players lacking experience, and her young guns duly delivered.

Both teams exchanged attacks in the opening stages of the first half, but with limited space available, Katlego Malebane posed the most threat. She showcased her vision with attempted defense-splitting passes, but Lesotho remained compact and defended as a unit.