Buhari Cup vital warm-up for Banyana

BANYANA Banyana coach Desiree Ellis will be looking to guide her troops all the way in the Aisha

Buhari Cup in Nigeria.

Banyana are in Group B with Ghana and Cameroon and are due to play their first game of the tournament this afternoon against Ghana at the Mobolaji Johnson Stadium in Lagos.

The upcoming games will be vital for Ellis’s side as they prepare to contest the 2022 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations (Awcon) qualifying matches which start from late October.

The Banyana squad that will contest the Buhari Cup contains a good balance of youth and experience with both local and overseas stars on the roster.

Among the star names in the squad are veteran Janine van Wyk, Lebogang Ramalepe, AC Milan’s Refiloe Jane, Hilda Magaia and Atletico Madrid’s Thembi Kgatlana.

Exciting South Africa-based players in the squad include the University of Western Cape’s Sibulele Holweni, the experienced Robyn Moodaly and Gabriela Salgado.

The Aisha Buhari Cup also kickstarts a busy period for Banyana as they will also host the upcoming Cosafa Women’s Championship in Nelson Mandela Bay from September 28-October 9.

“We have the Buhari Cup, the Cosafa Cup, and the Awcon. We have worked on what we think we will need to cover over the coming two months,” said Ellis.

“Consistency and regular game time are always key as we want to make sure that we have covered our bases, but the Buhari Cup will dictate what happens next.”

Banyana have not been in action since April but Ellis maintains that the players are in good shape and raring to go.

“We are happy with what we have seen and will continue from here,” she said.

“With restarts, players always think that they are doing nothing but it takes into account what they have done over the last few days, especially the players coming from Mamelodi Sundowns.

“We have to manage the players in camp to make sure we keep them fresh but also to make sure that they get some work in,” said Ellis.

Banyana have competed in every Awcon tournament since 1995 but have yet to win the continental showpiece.

They will certainly be among the favourites to win the title should they successfully qualify as is expected.