Johannesburg - The Rio Olympics for Banyana Banyana will serve two purposes, expose their players to international scouts with the aim of getting professional contracts abroad and strengthen the team for the future by raising their game.
Goalkeeper Roxanne Barker is a perfect example of what exposure can do for the team. The two friendlies Banyana played against the Netherlands last month, to prepare for the Olympics, helped her get a contract with Dutch side SC Heerenveen Vrouwen.
Coach Vera Pauw has constantly preached that a number of players in the setup can hold their own abroad when given a chance.That’s why the Olympics are a good opportunity for them to impress.
It won’t be easy against the hosts Brazil, Sweden and China in Group E. They will be lucky to get a point in those matches because of the gulf in class between Banyana and those nations.The fact that they have nothing to lose will see them play with more freedom, which could count in their favour.
Banyana's participation is mainly about the bigger picture, which is success in Africa, and could see them make their debut at the World Cup.After the last Olympics four years ago in London, where they made their debut, Banyana came close to becoming African champions for the first time. They lost in the final of the Africa Women’s Cup of Nations (AWCN) to hosts Equatorial Guinea.
But they achieved an important milestone, beating nine-time African champions and arch-nemesis Nigeria for the first time in a competitive match.
That win in the semi-finals removed the stranglehold Nigeria had over them.They managed to do that because they were mentally stronger, after facing the then world champions Japan, Sweden and Canada in London.
Banyana exerted themselves a lot to beat Nigeria, which is why they struggled in the AWCN final.They’re wiser and more experienced now. That’s why a gold medal in Cameroon in the AWCN later this year is a realistic target. The test they will get at the Olympics will prepare them well for that tournament.
Pauw named eight players in her 18-member squad who weren’t a part of the team that played in London. Most of those players are Under-23, as she prepares for the future in a team that has four players with 100 caps and more.
Those four players - captain Janine van Wyk, Noko Matlou, Nompumelelo Nyandeni and Amanda Dlamini - will guide the debutants.The problem though for Pauw is that throughout her preparations for the the Olympics, she has used the same players without giving the whole squad game time.
It will be hard for those deputising to take over should anyone get injured.United States-based forward Jermaine Seoposenwe will lead the attack, while Dlamini, Nyandeni, Refiloe Jane and Leandra Smeda will support her in midfield.
The attack has been the Banyana's weakest link. They didn’t score a single goal in the three matches they played against the Netherlands and US.
Their friendly against New Zealand in Brazil, six days before they take on Sweden, will show how far they have come in solving that problem.
The Olympics as a whole will be about how far Banyana has come in the last four years, as they look to close a massive gap between themselves and the best teams in the world.
The Star