The South African U17 Women’s national team head coach Ntombifuthi Khumalo has called on the South African Football Association (SAFA) for maximum support ahead of the two-legged FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup qualifying clash with the U17 girls Nigeria, known as Flamingos.
Khumalo sounded a warning to the South Africa Football Association that his team needs a longer preparation period and reinforcements to be able to withstand the challenge of Nigeria in the games scheduled for the period 7-16 March.
“Yes, tactically they (Nigeria) are good, like us, but if you can measure when we play pound-for-pound, our players are not ready for that – but we need to reinforce on that. If we can get support to get (reinforcements) because, as a country, I still believe we have more quality players who deserve to be part of the team.
“Also, we need more preparation for the next leg, with a longer camp and friendly games, that will help us to ensure we are ready for the next round.”
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s U17 girls, Flamingos, will on Sunday at the Remo Stars Sports Institute, Ikenne-Remo, kickstart their preparations.
The 2022 World Cup bronze medallists were drawn bye to the second round of the African qualifiers, while the Bantwana fired from all cylinders to steamroll their counterparts from Gabon 21-2 on aggregate, winning 12-1 in Gabon and 9-1 in South Africa.
By Oluwadamilola Olaleye