Thembi Kgatlana rejects calls for Banyana Banyana overhaul after Wafcon exit

South Africa forward Thembi Kgatlana has dismissed suggestions that Banyana Banyana’s difficult Women’s Africa Cup of Nations campaign was caused by the age of the squad, insisting senior players still have an important role to play.

Calls for the team to be refreshed with younger players emerged after the defending champions were knocked out in the quarter-finals of the tournament in Morocco. Kgatlana said experience should not be written off and argued that it must be combined with youth to protect the team’s future.

“I don’t know why people continue to ask that question [whether Banyana’s recent struggles have to do with the ageing squad] because in Europe, there’s Marta [Brazilian veteran playmaker], for example. She is 40 years old and still playing at the highest level [for Orlando Pride in the US],” Kgatlana said.

“I don’t know if the mentality of African fans is that players are simply too old. I don’t think they are. As long as the time is right, you need to blend experience with youth. This helps ensure that when senior players retire, there isn’t a massive gap.

“In our team, the majority of players have played in more than five Wafcons, which is a plus for the younger ones because they are learning every day, in training, and in matches.”

Banyana Banyana won the 2022 Wafcon but were unable to defend their title after losing to tournament hosts Morocco in the last eight. Their defeat also meant they initially missed out on automatic qualification for the World Cup.

South Africa restored their hopes by beating Nigeria in the match for a place in the World Cup intercontinental play-offs. The draw for the play-offs will take place in Zurich on Thursday.

The qualifying process will be split into two stages. The first phase will be played in November and December, with six teams competing for two World Cup places. The group will include two sides from Africa, two from Asia, one from Oceania and one from South America.

The two successful teams from that stage will then join four nations who have received byes in the second phase, which takes place in February next year. Those four teams comprise two from Concacaf, one from Europe and one from South America. Three final World Cup places will be available in that phase.

Kgatlana, 30, played a decisive role in South Africa’s qualification bid. She scored in Banyana Banyana’s 2-1 victory over Nigeria in the World Cup intercontinental berth contest at Casablanca’s Moulay Rachid Stadium on Thursday.

She also finished the Wafcon campaign with three goals, despite South Africa’s quarter-final elimination.

Rather than viewing the number of experienced players as a weakness, Kgatlana believes their presence gives younger members of the squad the opportunity to develop through daily training and competitive matches. She said that continuity would help prevent a significant gap when older players eventually retire.