Banyana Banyana face quarter-final exit as John Tlale warns their standards are slipping

Former Bafana Bafana goalkeeper John Tlale believes Banyana Banyana’s ageing squad is contributing to a decline in standards as they prepare for a crucial Women’s Africa Cup of Nations match against Burkina Faso on Tuesday.

Banyana Banyana must win at Moulay Rachid Stadium in Casablanca to have any chance of reaching the quarter-finals. A draw or defeat would end their tournament.

Their position became precarious after they lost their opening game against Tanzania before recovering slightly with a last-gasp equaliser against Ivory Coast. Even victory over Burkina Faso may not be enough, with Banyana Banyana also needing Ivory Coast to beat Tanzania in the other Group B fixture, which takes place on the same day.

Burkina Faso are second in the group with three points, the same total as Tanzania in third. Ivory Coast lead the standings with four points.

Tlale, who is best known for his spell with Mamelodi Sundowns, has questioned whether the current Banyana Banyana squad is beginning to show the effects of age.

“Burkina Faso are very strong, and Banyana Banyana’s standard is dropping now,” says the man best known for his spell with Mamelodi Sundowns, speaking toKickOff.

“Looking at the players we have, they are all ageing.

“Most of them are above 30 years old.

“We need to adopt new ways of gradually introducing young player.

Tlale said the team needed to begin bringing younger players into the squad progressively, rather than relying so heavily on an experienced group.

His comments come before a match in which Banyana Banyana have no margin for error. Burkina Faso’s three points mean they are in a strong position to qualify, while Tanzania remain level with them and Ivory Coast have the advantage at the top of the group.

The former goalkeeper also gave his preference for who should start in goal against Burkina Faso, although he believes both of the available options have made errors.

“But for tonight’s game, I would love to see [Andile] Dlamini in goal compared to Kaylin Swart. Both of them make mistakes; I feel the confidence is not the same as before.”

Andile Dlamini and Kaylin Swart are competing for the goalkeeping position as Banyana Banyana attempt to keep their campaign alive.

The match at Moulay Rachid Stadium in Casablanca is scheduled to kick off at 22:00 on Tuesday. A Banyana Banyana victory, combined with an Ivory Coast win over Tanzania, would give them the route they need to reach the quarter-finals. Any other result in their own match would bring their tournament to an end.