Bantwana coach to focus on positives after Uruguay loss
This was the team’s second friendly in Uruguay, having won 8-0 against Canadian Soccer Club last Friday.
Simphiwe Dludlu, coach of South Africa women’s U17 team. Picture: Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix
After losing 3-0 in a friendly match against Fifa Under-17 World Cup hosts Uruguay at Estadio Parque Capurro, Fenix on Monday, Bantwana coach Simphiwe Dludlu says she will focus on the positives to help her team improve ahead of the tournament.
This was the team’s second friendly in Uruguay, having won 8-0 against Canadian Soccer Club last Friday.
“We lost but we got some important elements that I got out of the game and it will be easy to teach them before we start with the World Cup. I could say there are certain things we can improve on and certain elements that were really, some players rising to the occasion and being to shift players in different position and testing them against an opponent that is organised,” said Dludlu.
“Obviously the score is not pleasing, we lost 3-0 and conceded goals in the critical stages of the game. And that calls for concern obviously, it’s not that we were not switched on when we conceded those goals, it was against the run of play and it happens. At this age, there are not mature to realise those moments, but it’s for us to go back to the drawing board and show them how we conceded the goals, and what they could have done better so that they could learn going into the next game.”
Bantwana are set to kick start their World Cup campaign with a clash against Mexico on November 14.
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