WELKOM, SOUTH AFRICA, The South African Football Association (SAFA), in partnership with Sasol Limited, an integrated energy and chemical company, have completed yet another successful road show to advance women’s football in the country.

This is the third road show organized by SAFA and Sasol, which last year staged two events in Cape Town and Limpopo Province, which were mainly focused on talent identification. This year, the organizers decided to include coaching clinics for SAFA regional coaches in Free Sate Province.

The coach of Banyana Banyana, the national women’s football team, Desiree Else said: “We decided to come here on a two day workshop, to interact with the coaches and show them what it is that we do at Banyana. We feel that players come from the league and they come into the national team, they struggle a lot to integrate in terms of the physical conditioning, also in terms of been able to play because the level between the Sasol league and international football is huge and I think that’s where we struggle.”

Regional coaches who benefited from the coaching clinic geld here Sunday, welcomed the initiative. Free State regional coach Winston King said: “The most important thing I have learned is that we as coaches have been letting down our national team. We have to close the gap between the national team and the clubs. So, we have learned a lot about the conditioning of players and also tactical awareness of players.”

Free State SAFA Regional Coach Thenjiwe Thomson said: “As a coach, I’ve realised that in my team my defenders were disorganized, so Coach Desiree has taught me that as a coach I have to organize my defenders.”

With the coaching clinics wrapped up the previous day, the focus turned to players. Young talent had the opportunity to impress the Banyana Banyana coach and her scouting team. Players who made the cut will be invited to be part of Banyana’s next training camp, an opportunity these young players will use as a springboard to reach their dreams.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK