The newly-appointed Banyana Banyana coach Vera Pauw’s first mission is to embark on a nationwide talent identification programme to scout players.
Pauw replaced the former coach Joseph Mkhonza who has been appointed to the position of the national scout.
The coach arrived in the country last Monday.
Banyana will play a friendly against Namibia this week in preparation of the African Women’s Championship qualifier against the Comoros in May.
Pauw was hard at work just hours after she set foot on South African soil.
She went to the High Performance Centre in Pretoria where there was a selection camp on Wednesday.
The Dutch-born coach also attended the Premier Skills Initiative in Soweto, which is run by the English Premier League, the British Council and the South African Football Association (Safa).
Pauw said she is going to cast the net wide to make sure that the best available talent in the country is discovered.
“We must get to know the high talented players in around the country.
“If any coach thinks that we have a player who has never been seen, they must contact us and send us an e-mail, phone us or text us or whatever because we are really keen to get the best players,” she said.
An African team has yet to win the women’s world cup.
Pauw said with the proper planning and hard work, African teams can break that drought.
