South Africa's Banyana Banyana will visit Japan at the Yanmar Hanasaka Stadium on Saturday in the first of two friendly matches as they continue their preparations for the upcoming Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).
The tournament, set to be hosted in Morocco, was initially scheduled for March 17 - April 3. However, less than two weeks before the scheduled kick-off, it was delayed until July 25 - August 16.
Desiree Ellis named a travelling squad on May 14, featuring three overseas-based players: Tigres UANL's Thembi Kgatlana, Nordsjælland's Bongeka Gamede and Glasgow City's Linda Motlhalo.
Mamelodi Sundowns have 10 women among the 23-player squad - the best-represented club, as is usually the case.
Japan will represent a stern test of a mostly locally-based Banyana squad. South Africa proved their quality by qualifying for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup round of 16, but they have arguably not scaled the same heights since and relinquished the WAFCON crown they won in 2022 last year with a semi-final exit.
Japan were quarter-finalists at the 2023 tournament in Australia & New Zealand, and previously won the World Cup in 2011.
Back-to-back friendlies on Saturday and Tuesday will provide South Africa with an opportunity to prove, less than two months before the WAFCON, that they are still a team that can compete with anybody on their day.
Key details
Date: Saturday, June 6 at 8:50 AM CAT (3:30 PM Osaka time, 6:50 AM GMT)
Venue: Yanmar Hanasaka Stadium, Osaka
How to watch: The match is scheduled to air on SABC 3, as per Banyana Banyana's account on X.
Team news
The major news in the Banyana Banyana camp is the return of Thembi Kgatlana to the national team from the injury which kept her out of back-to-back wins over Algeria in April.
Expected lineups
South Africa
LB Karabo Dhlamini | CB Bambanani Mbane | CB Bongeka Gamede | RB Fikile Magama
CM Refiloe Jane | CM Linda Motlhalo | CM Noxolo Cesane
LW Nthabiseng Majiya | ST Thembi Kgatlana | RW Wendy Shongwe
Japan
LB Hikaru Kitagawa | CB Saki Kumagai | CB Toko Koga | RB Risa Shimizu
CM Yui Hasegawa | CM Yuzuki Yamamoto | CM Momoko Tanikawa
LW Hanata Miyazawa | ST Riko Ueki | RW Aoba Fujino
Stats
Banyana Banyana's star striker, Thembi Kgatlana, has 32 goals in 85 Liga MX Femenil games for Tigres UANL.
This year marks 10 years since Desiree Ellis took over as Banyana Banyana head coach - initially on an interim basis for the first year and a half following the departure of Vera Pauw.