South Africa Women national team head coach Desire Ellis has advised Zambia to play around star forward Barbra Banda instead of playing for her.
Ellis who was speaking after masterminding a 3-1 win over the Copper Queens noted a reliance on the China-based forward. Ellis was however quick to acknowledge that the quality that Banda brings makes it so easy to make her your focal point.
She also singled out her defense as the main reason her team won the match against the Copper Queens on Saturday as they managed to restrict Barbra Banda to a single shot on goal and nullify Rachel Nachula and Grace Chanda were other threats.
“We knew it was going to be a tough match, We felt Zambia were ahead of us in preparations being three months away from the Olympics, But we felt that if we put the ball on the ground and start playing, which we didn’t really in the first half, Our two attacking midfielders never really got into the game and my word Barbra scored that fantastic goal, But once we got back into the game we sort of managed to control the pace of the game.
I think our defense was solid today and once our two attacking midfielders got more onto the ball we started playing more, Not having played for five months, happy with the result but I think this was a good start, we said if we can start well our end will be well but if we don’t start well our preparation was going to be longer,” she said.
” I think our defense won the game for us, They made sure Barbra I think had one shot at goal but we nullified Nachula who was another threat, Grace Chanda, as well. When we were on the ball, Thembi was always a threat, I thought Gaby [Gabriela Salgado] played a magnificent game as well, Nomvula [Kgoale] controlled the midfield and because of that I think we won the match ahead of them but when we play Zambia it is always a tough game because we play each other so often and with the quality they have we know we in for a tough time.”
” I think conditioning is key, we always say when if we are in a good physical shape because we can play then we can match any team. I think maybe they are reliant on Barbra Banda too much you know to play other players in I think that will help out the team as well, If they play around her instead of for her but when you have a quality player like that and she can do that for you then why not make her your focal point,” she added.
Barbra Banda put Zambia in the lead in the 19th minute but Noko Matlou leveled matters and put South Africa in the lead in the 39th and 43rd minute respectively before Thembi Kgatlana could seal the result in the 52nd minute.
Zambia next faces the Harambee Starlets in another international friendly match scheduled for Saturday, 24th April. Coach Bruce Mwape is using the friendly matches as part of preparations for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
