Johannesburg — Banyana Banyana were taught a football lesson after they were hammered 6-0 by Brazil in the two teams' second friendly at the Moses Mabhida Stadium.
Monday night’s defeat meant that the African Queens lost 9-0 on aggregate to their South American counterparts after losing 3-0 on Friday night.
Banyana's defeat in Durban, just like it was in Orlando, was a result of defensive mistakes while they failed to make a breakthrough up front.
Coach Desiree Ellis will have to work on those mistakes before the Fifa World Cup next year given that they’ll be heavily punished by superior opposition.
Banyana made three changes to the team that lost to Brazil in Orlando, including Kaylin Swart replacing Andile Dlamini between the sticks.
Dlamini didn’t finish the first game as well. She was replaced by her deputy after sustaining a knock in the second stanza.
And having not done much during that cameo, Swart was always going to have her work cut out for her against forwards such as Duda Francelino.
Swart was called into action in the second minute, parrying Tamires da Silva’s thunderbolt from close range as Brazil launched their first attack.
But being overconfident was Swart’s downfall. She unleashed a poor goal-kick that came off Bambanani Mbane, resulting in a loose ball.
Andriana da Silva was on standby to accept the gift as she drove home a hard and low shot from close range to give Brazil the lead.
Nervous and unsettled at the back, Banyana were nearly punished again after a cross found an unmarked Beatriz Joao, who put her header inches wide.
Swart was nearly responsible for another goal-kick blunder as she passed the ball to Debora Oliveira but she did well to recover and make the save.
As the half progressed Banyana started to generate some possession but their final ball let them down, as they failed to find their runners.
Linda Motlhalo and Nomvula Kgoale were responsible for making Banyana tick, but the Brazilian defence stood their ground.
The Brazilians didn’t crack even when trickster Noxolo Cesane tried to expose pockets of space, with Lorena Leite quick off her line.
But miscommunication between Swart and Janine van Wyk as they challenged for the same ball saw Banyana trail 2-0 on the stroke of half-time.
Olivei lobbed the ball into an empty net to give her side the comfort of a two-goal cushion at the break.
A back pass from Van Wyk was poorly cleared by Swart early in the second half, forcing the latter to commit a foul. Joao scored from the resultant spot-kick.
Francelino scored Brazil’s fourth from close range after a long-range pass fell behind Banyana’s defence, sending Oliveira through on goal.
Swart blocked Oliveira’s shot but the resultant loose ball was blocked before it found Duda, who turned her marker before slotting into an empty net.
Kathellen Sousa and Oliveira scored Brazil’s fifth and sixth goals, rounding off an embarrassing night for the hosts in Durban.
IOL Sport