South Africa’s u20 Ladies, ‘Basetsana’, crash out of the 2024 FIFA u20 Women’s World Cup Qualifiers
After being held to successive draws by the Burundi u20 women’s national team, South Africa’s u20 ladies have missed out on an opportunity to participate on international football’s grand stage, the FIFA u20 Women’s World Cup.
The teams faced off in a two-leg tie, with both games being played at the Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville, Pretoria. The first match, on 8 October, ended goalless as neither team managed to convert their chances.
Heading into the second leg, on 11 October, Basetsana had to put everything on the line. Victory was the sole aim. They had home ground advantage and the home fans behind them, and South Africa fought to the last minute of the contest, but it wasn’t quite enough.
Twice the visitors went ahead and twice Basetsana came back through goals from Adriele Mibe and Lindelwa Mabuza, but they couldn’t find a winner and had to settle for a 2-2 draw.
It meant Basetsana would miss out on the 2024 FIFA u20 Women’s World Cup, which takes place in Colombia, on the away goals’ rule.
The unfortunate defeat comes at a crucial time as football at a development level appears to be on a good path in South Africa, with a lot of investment and commitment in the game having been put forward by different stakeholders.
For the supporters of South Africa’s national teams, the failure to advance to the u20 World Cup is yet another disappointment. They will have to resort to watching and supporting other countries during the event. They will also, no doubt, continue to ask what needs to be done for our football to advance to more consistent and better levels.
The questions surrounding structure, football identity and consistency in the nation’s teams remain a concern for the football fanatics.
Many fans believe that South Africa’s national sides are not ready to compete on the global stage. The results of Basetsana against Burundi add further credence to their contention.
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