Nine of Cape Town’s finest women footballers have been selected to do battle for Banyana Banyana and Bantwana teams in the COSAFA Cup in November, reflecting the region’s standing as a key contributor to the national football setup.
Cape Town’s standing as a key contributor to the national football set up took another positive turn today (28 October 2020) when no less than nine women footballers were selected to do battle for Banyana Banyana and Bantwana teams in the COSAFA Cup.
The Cape Town region has six names from the 20-member squad of the national Under 17 Women’s team, fondly known as Bantwana, while three rising stars appear in the senior national team, Banyana Banyana, which also consist of 20 players.
University of the Western Cape defenders Bongeka Gamede and Sibulele Cecilia Holweni, as well as their fellow defender Kaylyn Octavia Jordaan of Spurs Women Football Club were named in the Banyana team.
In the Bantwana side, Cape Town is represented by the duo of defender Mihle Lumko and midfielder Lithemba Sam Sam of the Gugulethu-based Cape Town Roses, as well as midfielder Nabeelah Galant and striker Tyler Scott, both from the University of Cape Town. Defenders Thimna Mphele of RV United in Khayelitsha and Hlela Philisani of the Philippi-based Dangerous Heroes complete the Cape Town cohort for Bantwana.
The 2020 Cosafa Women’s Championship is scheduled to take place in Port Elizabeth from 3-14 November, while the Cosafa Under 17 Championships kicks off on 4 November and runs through to 14 November in the same venue.
Safa Cape Town’s Head of Women Football, Natalie Swartz, congratulated the selected players, Swartz said the region has witnessed for years how Cape Town players are called up for national camps. “I’m not surprised that our players at times dominate the selected squads,” she said.
The selection of these players in particular was also not too surprising, as they had previously proved themselves in the regional, provincial and even national teams.
“As SAFA CT HOD I am happy with their selection, as they were part of the 2019 COSAFA team which lost to Zambia in the final. I know these ladies very well. They live and eat football, and they are dedicated and passionate players, and truly respectable young ladies,” she said.
“I want to thank their club coaches for believing in them by giving these young ladies the opportunity to pursue their dreams. Now their journey continues – and all the best to them!”
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