The Cars Jeans Stadion will be beaming from neon Orange and Yellow scarves on Tuesday night’s sky in Den Haag as coach Desiree Ellis’ South Africa lock horns with the fifth-best team on the planet Netherlands.
This clash was initially scheduled to take place prior to Netherlands embarking on their journey to the 12-team football tournament at the Tokyo Olympics and serving as a farewell to former manager Sarina Weigman to cherish her final match on home soil, before signing a four-year deal with England, taking over the reins from Phil Neville.
One year later, Mark Parsons is Netherlands head coach and South Africa have been consistently improving in leaps and bounds. What better way than to test ourselves against the cream of the crop?
International friendly
Tuesday 12 April
Tuesday 12 April
Cars Jeans Stadion, Den Haag
18:45
To Win
Netherlands 1/33
Netherlands 1/33
Draw 14/1
South Africa 33/1
South Africa 33/1
Netherlands
Netherlands slapped 124-ranked Cyprus silly in Groningen last Friday night with Arsenal striker Vivianne Miedema scoring six times in a 12-0 victory as Mark Parsons team retained top-spot in Group C of Europe’s FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifying.
A chance for the ‘Gunner’ Miedema to stat-pad against minnows which amazingly has taken her tally to 91 goals in 107 appearances for the Lionesses, doesn’t take away from her quality. She had to beat what’s in front of her and she encountered sloppy defending and costly errors with most of the opportunities comically falling into her path.
It was either Cyprus shooting themselves in the foot or Miedema physically bullying the clearly shorter defenders by getting on the end of a barrage of supply by Lineth Beerensteyn speeding down the right-flank to deliver dangerous crosses into the 1.75 meters tall Miedema.
Or either Beerensteyn playing cut-backs for the late midfield runners like Wolfsburg’s Jill Roord, who also netted a hat-trick in the finger-licking 12-piece feast last Friday night and interestingly also scored the deciding goal in the second-leg UEFA Women’s Champions League quarter-final tie which dumped Miedema’s Arsenal out just a week earlier.
We’ll have to wait for the starting line-ups to be released to know exactly how Netherlands will approach this encounter. As Netherlands manager, Mark Parsons has never faced an African country and he could come all guns blazing with the likes of Beerensteyn and Miedema aiming to get a taste of the opposition he might face in New Zealand and Australia before heading down under to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Meanwhile, there could be another approach mirroring the Olympics squad where a mix of predominantly Under-23 players like 18-year-old Esmee Brugts, 21-year-old Romee Leuchter and 22-year-old Damaris Egurrola could all start the match and be replaced in the second half by the tried and tested.
Seeing as this is an international friendly expect many substitutions and experimenting with new ideas but the crowd in Den Haag bought tickets to watch the Miedema show, so surely there’s going to be a period where Netherlands turn on the heat regardless of how friendly these nations have been to each other in the past and present.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Sari van Veenendaal (PSV Eindhoven), Barbara Lorsheyd (ADO Den Haag) & Daphne van Domselaar (FC Twente).
Defenders: Merel van Dongen (Atletico Madrid), Aniek Nouwen (Chelsea), Dominique Janssen & Lynn Wilms (Wolfsburg), Caitlin Dijkstra & Marisa Christiane Wilhelmina Olislagers (FC Twente), Victoria Pelova, Sherida Spitse & Stefanie van der Gragt (Ajax).
Midfielders: Jill Baijings (SGS Essen), Damaris Egurrola (Lyon), Jackie Groenen (Manchester United), Jill Roord (Wolfsburg), Kerstin Casparij & Kayleigh Marit Ellen van Dooren (FC Twente).
Forwards: Lineth Beerensteyn (Bayern Munich), Esmee Brugts (PSV Eindhoven), Vivianne Miedema (Arsenal), Katja Snoeijs (Bordeaux), Chasity Grant & Romee Leuchter (Ajax).
South Africa
Off the top of my head I remember Zambian striker Barbra Banda burying a hat-trick against Netherlands at the Olympics and I begin to start thinking about writing this preview as biasedly as my last Bafana Bafana preview, however, I’m quickly reminded that Netherlands put 10 goals passed the Copper Queens and I then start thinking more analytically instead of my overflowing passion for the Green and Gold.
I have no doubt that South Africa’s defence is considerably better in quality compared to both Zambia and Cyprus – so don’t fear that after the final whistle is blown, we’ll need a tennis umpire to announce six-love, mentions of a dozen hot-cross buns, or any other creative banter you can muster – South Africa is a serious football team with quality along the backline and boasting two experienced goalkeepers in Kaylin Swart and Ayanda Dlamini that won’t be overwhelmed by this occasion after playing at the last FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Bambani Mbane is the heart and soul in central defence and much of this encounter will be dictated by her ability to take the game by the scruff off the neck and inspire her teammates to deliver at higher levels.
Ahead of the clash, Mbane told www.safa.net.: “Mentally we have to be strong heading into this game against such a team, but I am happy with how we have performed leading up to this. The team spirit is high. We need games like these to measure how far we are in terms of preparation as a team, where we can improve and also help each other with improving.”
Basically, in Amapiano terms – You want to Bamba? You wanna chill with the big boys.
My silly banter aside I feel Kholosa Biyana and Mamello Makhabane will put in proper shifts in central midfield but Refiloe Jane is a huge loss for any team – currently missing out four matches in AC Milan colours since featuring in the 1-1 draw with Napoli, five weeks ago.
South Africa have an electric forward line that’s spearheaded by Atletico Madrid’s Thembi Kgatlana and Jermaine Seoposenwe (Braga), although the pool of Hollywoodbets Super League players is just as talented – and here lies an opportunity to prove their worth against one of the best teams on the planet.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Kaylin Swart (JVW FC) & Ayanda Dlamini (Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies).
Defenders: Noko Matlou (Eibar), Janine Van Wyk (JVW FC), Koketso Tlailane (TUT Ladies), Lebogang Ramalepe (Dinamo Minsk), Bambani Mbane, Tiisetso Makhumela & Karabo Dlamini (Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies).
Midfielders: Kholosa Biyana (Sporting Gijon), Linda Motlhalo (Djurgardens IF), Nomvula Kgoale (CD Parquesol), Thalea Smidt (Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies), Sibulele Holweni & Noxolo Cesane (UWC Ladies), Gabriela Salgado, Robyn Moodaly & Mamello Makhabane (JVW FC).
Forwards: Jermaine Seoposenwe (Braga), Thembi Kgatlana (Atletico Madrid), Nthabiseng Majiya (Richmond United) & Melinda Kgadiete (Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies).
Prediction: Correct Score 4:2 (68/1)
If I had to put my money down on a goalscorer for Banyana Banyana – Sibulele Holweni – has the similar raw pace and power coupled with natural dribbling ability which allowed Barbra Banda to penetrate the Lionesses rear-guard.
Both Teams To Score is on the cards despite being the opposite of what the bookies say, another option worth a punt is available in the Multiscores market – select – 2:1, 3:1 or 4:1 at 32/10 odds.
Although if you’re as confident as I am – go into the Correct Score market and select Netherlands 4-2 South Africa at 68/1.
Written by Bryan Naicker