Banyana will need to set a marker in their Fifa Women’s World Cup opener against Sweden on Sunday.
A gallant display from Banyana Banyana in their World Cup opener will boost their morale throughout the tournament.
Those were the sentiments of former Banyana defender Nothando Vilakazi, who knows all about the mental battle the South Africans need to overcome in their first match in New Zealand on Sunday.
Banyana made their first World Cup appearance four years ago, but their inexperience was brutally exposed as they lost all three group stage matches against Spain, China and Germany.
Against Spain, they looked to be in control, taking the lead through Thembi Kgatlana.
But a lapse in concentration and red card to Vilakazi allowed the Spaniards back into the game as they won 2-1.
And from that point on, Banyana’s campaign went from bad to worse. They lost 1-0 to China, before being hammered 4-0 against Germany in their last game as they finished bottom of the group.
Fast forward to this year, Banyana will make their second successive World Cup appearance against Sweden at Wellington Regional Stadium on Sunday (7am kickoff), and Vilakazi has some advice for the team.
“I think the first game was the one that hurt us the most. If you look at it and the way I also got a red card, I think we lost the morale going forward,” Vilakazi told Independent Media on Wednesday.
“I don’t fully know what happened going forward. But we didn’t play the way we did in the first game, where everyone went all out. It was unfortunate that we also got a red card.”
Banyana might be the African champions, but that doesn’t mean they are expected to play the third-ranked Swedes, who are also the tournament favourites, off the park.
And that’s why Vilakazi has urged her former teammates not to be starstruck by the highly-rated Swedes.
Instead, they must stick to the game and believe in themselves.
“I think when you go there, you must be brave and be tough. When you start to be nervous and you see players who have long been playing in the World Cup, you won’t cope,” Vilakazi said.
“But when you get there and be confident, then you’ll be able to do well as both individuals and as a team at the World Cup.”
Should Banyana’s confidence still not yield the desired result against Sweden, Vilakazi has reiterated that they shouldn’t be deterred, given that they will still face Argentina and Italy.
After all, she argues anything is possible when teams put their best foot forward without reading too much into the results, especially in a tournament such as the World Cup.
“The first game is where you push. No matter what happens, how bad the result or score is, but if you push in the first game, that’s when you’ll realise you can push in the second as well,” she said.
@Mihlalibaleka
