Grahamstown soccer players Nwabisa Jafta and Zikhona Dastile returned home on Monday after taking part in the trials for the South African U17 Women’s national team (Bantwana).
Grahamstown soccer players Nwabisa Jafta and Zikhona Dastile returned home on Monday after taking part in the trials for the South African U17 Women’s national team (Bantwana).
Dastile said while the training was tougher than she expected, it was an eye-opener. The girls had not only been coached on the physical game, but also on technical aspects. She said she had enjoyed spending time with soccer players from other provinces.
Jafta, who also enjoyed the camp, returned home with a training programme which the U17 coaching staff have told her to stick to. The trials took place at the High Performance Centre in Pretoria. Head coach of the Junior Women’s national team, Gregory Mashilo, said he was considering players born between 1994 and 1996 to start in the Bantwana squad.
Members of the outgoing Bantwana squad that took part in the Fifa U17 World Cup in August last year have the possibility of being promoted to the U20 Women’s national squad, Basetsana. The 36 players called up for the U17 Women’s national team trials were identified by coach Anna Monate during the Absa and Sasol national championships in 2010.
Jafta and Dastile play for Grahamstown team, African Connection, and were spotted during their side's play-off matches at the end of the last season. Mahilo said the weekend's trials were not focused on fitness, but rather ball skills and co-ordination, as well as tactical awareness.
“I am looking for potential in the individual players who will be selected, in order to work with them in the next set of friendly matches we have lined up,” said Mashilo.
Some of the girls at the camp also played in a training match against Alabama Football Club, of the Absa Women’s League, on Sunday at the High Performance Centre grounds. Jafta was part of the starting line-up and scored a goal for the U17 side.
She was also given the ball at various free kicks and corners. African Connection coach, Chris Totobela, congratulated the girls on their selection to the training camp. Totobela said while Jafta was given a training programme, it did not necessarily mean she was in the final side, which is expected to be announced shortly.
