South Africa goalkeeper Andile Dlamini during the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final game against Tunisia at Stade Prince Moulay Al Hassan in Rabat South Africa goalkeeper Andile Dlamini during the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final game against Tunisia at Stade Prince Moulay Al Hassan in Rabat, Morocco on 14 July 2022. Picture: Ryan Wilkisky, BackpagePix
Johannesburg – Banyana Banyana goalkeeper Andile Dlamini has said that the team’s success is due to an unbreakable bond among the players.
Desiree Ellis’ charges advanced to the final of Wafcon on Monday following a hard-fought 1-0 win over Southern African rivals Zambia in the semi-finals.
Banyana will play against Morocco in the final on Saturday after the North African nation upset Nigeria in the other semi-final.
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“There is something about this team that is just different and unbreakable. Every player in this team wants to win. They are motivated. I know that every player wants to do this to inspire change and positive vibes in South Africa.
“When you walk onto the field, nobody wants to lose a game. We want to inspire youngsters who are depressed and want to improve themselves,” said Dlamini.
The 29-year-old Dlamini has been a standout performer for Ellis’ charges in the Wafcon campaign. She has kept three successive clean sheets en route to the final and made a few crucial saves against Zambia.
Dlamini is also one of the outspoken players in the Banyana team and has said that she adopts this approach in order to try and inspire her teammates.
“I am the last line of defence and if they see me motivating them, they are motivated. If I am quiet and do not say anything, they may panic. Even when we are under pressure, I try to stay as calm as possible.
“I know what they are capable of and I remind them of that. In football, you have to remind people what they are capable of doing. The defenders have been working hard. I am who I am because of my teammates,” said Dlamini.
Banyana’s game against Morocco will be their second consecutive Wafcon final after they were downed by Nigeria in the last edition of the tournament. Dlamini is choosing to focus on her own team’s game rather than on the opponent.
“I don’t care who I meet in the final. I am representing South Africa. I don’t care about who I am playing against,” said Dlamini.
Banyana set themselves two main objectives for the current Wafcon campaign which were to qualify for the 2023 World Cup and win the tournament.
They have already achieved one objective and will be headed to a second consecutive World Cup in Australia and New Zealand next year.