Kgatlana admits defence needs to improve if Banyana are to reach last-16

Thembi Kgatlana reckons the Banyana Banyana defence needs to be more stable if they stand any chance of making it to the next round of the Fifa Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

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This comes after Banyana let slip a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 with Argentina in their second game in Group G on Friday morning.

Banyana and La Albiceleste have now both got a point in their group, with the South Africans in third place and the South Americans in fourth spot.

In their opening game last Sunday, Banyana lost 2-1 to Sweden.

Defence an issue

Sweden and Italy are in first and second place respectively, having collected three points in their opening games. They meet on Saturday.

“I think we need to work more on our defence because we are a team that can score. But we also concede, so in the next coming days that is what we need to work more on so that we can go to the next stage,” said Kgatlana.

Asked why the Banyana players cried after the game, Kgatlana said: “I think it’s the intensity of playing at the World Cup. We started very well in the first half, even the second half, and we got two goals. I think we then started getting tired … you could see that in our decision-making.

“We were not doing the things that we were supposed to do, like we did in the first half. That cost us the two goals and you can imagine the frustration among my teammates.

“But personally, getting one point is better than losing all three points because in the match against Italy we have control of what we can do, but had we lost, we would not have control and it would have slipped out of our hands (the chance to qualify for the next round of the tournament as runners-up in the group).”

Banyana will clash with Italy in their last group game next Wednesday at Wellington Regional Stadium.

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