Bantwana coach Dludlu scouting for players at Sasol League National playoffs

In an effort to try to assemble a strong South African national Under-17 women’s team for the Fifa Under-17 World Cup in India later this year, coach Simphiwe Dludlu says the Sasol League National playoffs in Durban has given her an opportunity to scout players.

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The Bantwana coach is trying to assemble a strong team for the qualifiers, with the junior national team’s first game coming up next month against Kenya.

Dludlu held a Bantwana camp a week ago, but she still feels like there is a lot of scouting to get young players, but she believes the playoffs will make things better and says women’s is growing, but there are still some things that need to be fixed.

“19 goals were scored in three matches. The most exciting thing for me was seeing teams playing with young players, that’s one of  the reasons I am here. I saw a couple of 16-year olds and they are given a chance to play, so for me, that’s exciting,” said Dludlu, who is also the coach of Tshwane University of Technology ladies campaigning in the Hollywoodbets Super League.

“The game is evolving, it’s becoming better and better, you don’t see beehive football anymore, you can clearly see there is defence, there is attack, there is midfield, goalkeepers are getting better because we are lacking in terms of goalkeeping in the country in the womens game. You see with the teams not having goalkeeper coaches, but there is a structure when you look at the warm-ups, there is a structure. I am excited to see what’s going to happen for the rest of the week.”

“It’s extremely tough to assemble a team, Covid-19 really pulled a big one on us, because amateur football, especially women’s football took a back seat. Now teams are starting to get on board properly after missing out on two years of playing proper football.”

Wednesday Sasol League National League Championship results:

De Scorpion Ladies  0, Croesus 2 

Royal Wizards 1, Vasco da Gama 8

Copperbelt Ladies FC 1, Lindelani 3

Thursday fixtures:

Vasco da Gama Ladies v City Lads

Lindelani Ladies FC v  Ixias FC

Croesus Ladies FC  v TS Galaxy Ladies