Banyana Banyana’s final preparations for the Woman’s World Cup in June saw them take on ‘The Reggae Girls’, Jamaica, on Sunday afternoon at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.
The match ended in a share of the spoils with both teams scoring a goal apiece in each half. The South Africans took the lead in the 25th minute after Linda Motlhalo took full advantage of a defensive mistake. Khadija Shaw, who was giving Banyana’s defence all sorts of troubles, cancelled out Motlhalo’s opener early in the second half to ensure a 1-1 draw in the friendly match.
Speaking to the media before the match, Banyana Banyana legend and record scorer, Portia Modise, said: “the girls should be proud of what they have achieved. This is something we all dreamt of and it’s a proud moment for South African football.
“I played with five generations, we all wanted this trophy (points at the world cup trophy) even Des [Desiree Ellis], I’m sure you once dreamt of qualifying for the World Cup. We thought if we could qualify for the World Cup, woman football would be a bomb and we would get the attention we deserve. I think this is about time Mr President (looks at SAFA president, Danny Jordan) we need to get that recognition,” she said.
“Sometimes when I talk about woman football, it’s all about the passion that I have and the time that I spent, giving up all my other things and sacrificing for football. Putting all the effort for this team, Banyana Banyana. I was once a captain and a leader of this team. I played for the under 19s also, so I grew up here, I know the struggles that you have girls. Head up, you need to celebrate this moment, we’ve waited for this for so long. You need to lift your head up and be proud of this moment.
“You need to boast about it because I know the time and effort that you put in. We believed that one day we could buy our own houses and our own cars just because of our legs [playing football]. I see some of the legends are here also, I recognize you guys because we created a foundation for these girls and I respect you,” Modise added.
“Coach Des, you were once my teammate and I’m proud of you for qualifying for the World Cup. I think if we can have a good development for woman football this will not stop, we still going to qualify for more World Cups because we have the opportunity,” concluded the Banyana legend.
Written by Banele Pikwa