A Seeming feud between Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis and striker Thembi Kgatlana is threatening to derail South Africa’s dream of making it to the World Cup knockouts.
Banyana earned a Group G log point with Friday morning’s 2-2 draw with Argentina and can book a place in the last 16 if they beat Italy in Wednesday’s final pool match in Wellington, New Zealand.
But that mission could be thrown into jeopardy if the coach and Kgatlana can’t sort our their differences, with the pair in a blame game after SA threw away a two-goal lead last week.
🚨Next Match Details🚨
— Banyana_Banyana (@Banyana_Banyana) July 30, 2023
⚽️South Africa🇿![CDATA[]]>🇦![CDATA[]]>🆚 Italy 🇮![CDATA[]]>🇹
🗓️Wednesday, 02 August 2023
🏟️Wellington Regional Stadium
⏰19:00pm (09:00am RSA)
📺 Live on @Official_SABC1 and @SABC_Sport channel
Get behind team Banyana Banyana in our final Group match💚![CDATA[]]>💛![CDATA[]]>🇿![CDATA[]]>🇦#BeyondGreatness #FIFAWWC pic.twitter.com/8n3LKOw2rD
Kgatlana slammed her defence for failing to resist an Argentina comeback after Linda Motlhalo and she had put Banyana ahead.
Speaking in the post-match press conference, the 27-year-old says: “We had the game in our pocket but we gave away two easy goals.
“That’s something we’ll need to improve going into our next match.”
But Ellis sien dinge anders after Kgatlana missed a number of groot kanse to put the game to bed.
The Kaapse coach says: “We need to show a little bit of extra effort and take our chances. When you create beautiful chances and don’t put them away, the result can end up like this.”
They will have to sort out their differences if South Africa stand any chance.
Meanwhile, skipper Refiloe Jane is in a race against time to be fit for the final group game after suffering a “soft tissue” injury during the Argentina draw.
TEAM P W D L GD Pts
1 Sweden 2 2 0 0 1 6
2 Italy 2 1 0 1 -4 3
3 Banyana 2 0 1 1 -1 1
4 Argentina 2 0 1 1 -1 1
matthew.marcus@inl.co.za