Cape Town — After their maiden Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) conquest, South Africa can rightfully claim to be the best side on the continent, while several players have established themselves among the finest in Africa.
Starting with the last line of defence, South Africa’s shot-stopper Andile Dlamini was at the heart of the team's conquest in Morocco. The judges of the CAF awards recognised her outstanding performance and named her 'Goalkeeper of the Year' at the annual awards function.
She kept three clean sheets in the six games she played at the tournament. The 29-year-old Dlamini has 60 national team caps and is nicknamed 'Sticks'. Her name will be first on the list when deciding on the squad to play for Banyana Banyana in next year's World Cup which will be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
A four-man rearguard that will be made up of the best defenders at WAFCON will include Zineb Redouani (Morocco), Lushomo Mweemba (Zambia), Noko Matlou and Bambanani Mbane (both South Africa).
Redouani alerted fans to her talents in Morocco's second group match against Uganda and was named Woman of the Match afterwards. She has played in all six matches, but was substituted late in the second half of the final. After her substitution, South Africa's second goal was initially sprung from deep on the left flank where she would have been on duty.
Nigeria’s Osinachi Ohale also caught the eye out wide in defence but would not have made the tournament's Best XI.
In central defence, the nod goes to the Banyana Banyana duo Noko Matlou and Karabo Dhlamini, who provided a formidable defence wall in front of Dlamini. The 20-year-old Karabo Dhlamini was one of the finds of the tournament for South Africa, and very soon she will be adding to her 17caps by becoming a fixture in the run-on XI.
The 166-capped Matlou, one of the most versatile players in the SA squad, was a tower of strength in defence and even at the age of 36 years, she shows no signs of slowing down. She and Dhlamini are doing well in central defence, and they have kept out stalwart Janine van Wyk who has been playing off the bench. Matlou is likely to retire after the World Cup next year.
The three-man midfield will include some of the most gifted players on the continent. Zambian midfielder Grace Chanda, who often operates as a striker when required to do so, was one of the stand-out players in Morocco. She was nominated for the 'Best CAF Women’s Player of the Year' award but was pipped by Nigeria's Super Falcon striker Asisat Oshoala.
The second midfielder slot goes to the evergreen Refiloe who boasts 127 caps and is one of three players in the Banyana Banyana squad with more than 100 caps. She captained the side to a maiden WAFCON title and throughout the tournament led from the front.
After the impressive performances of Atlas Lionesses captain Ghizlane Chebbak, she'll take the third slot. She has strong claims to be one of the distinguished female players in Africa and led her country to its best-ever WAFCON finish. Previously, Morocco only made it to the quarterfinal round.
With three players upfront completing the 10-man infield, one of the names would surely have been Barbara Banda, the talismanic Zambian captain. However, pre-tournament tests, which had been ordered by CAF showed that she had high testosterone levels and as a result was banned from playing in Morocco.
Another distinguished player that will not feature in the 2022 WAFCON Best XI is Thembi Kgatlana, South Africa's 68-times capped striker. Her participation was cut short after the group clash against Nigeria, but it opened the way for other Banyana Banyana players to shine.
One was Jermaine Seoposenwe and the other was Hildah Magaia who has become an overnight hero following her brace in the final against Morocco.
The remaining striker's slot goes to Cameroon’s Ajara Nchout. As a winger, she was unmatched when setting off on solo attacks out wide. She deservedly won two 'Woman of the Match“ awards for stand-out displays.
IOL Sport