Soccer
Banyana ready for Senegal
2012-10-30 15:44
Joseph Mkhonza (Gallo Images)
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Johannesburg - Banyana Banyana coach Joseph Mkhonza is confident his team can bounce back with a victory over Senegal in their second group match of the African Women's Championship in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, on Wednesday.
The South Africans went down 1-0 to hosts Equatorial Guinea in the opening match of the tournament on Sunday.
"We have analysed Senegal's style of play and believe we can outplay them," Mkhonza said on Tuesday.
"The state of the muddy field will be the same for both teams so we can't focus on that.
"Playing the hosts, Equatorial Guinea, in the opening fixture was always going to be tough but that match is behind us and the players really want to do well.
"The spirit in the camp is high and we want to make sure that Banyana Banyana is still in the tournament for the semi-finals stage next week.""
Mkhonza confirmed that star striker Noko Matlou had recovered from a head injury she picked up in the opening game, and she was available for selection for Wednesday's match.
The South Africans trained in the rain on an astroturf surface on Tuesday, with the main venue unavailable due to the state of the muddy field.