Hildah Magaia has been withdrawn from the South African women’s national team due to medical reasons.
The Banyana Banyana squad will consist of 21 players for their matches against the USA. Sibulele Holweni won’t be able to make the trip due to an injury while Noko Matlou is unable to travel due to Visa challenges and has been replaced by Faith Nokuthula.
The team departed for the United States on September 17, 2023. The friendly matches against the US women’s national soccer team are scheduled for Thursday, 21 September in Cincinnati and Sunday, 24 September in Chicago.
Both teams recently participated in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, where they were knocked out in the Round of 16. South Africa lost to the Netherlands while USA were knocked out by Sweden.
Coach Desiree Ellis will use these matches to assess her squad ahead of upcoming qualifiers for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations and the Olympic Games.
The team flew out via Atlanta and is expected to land in the US on Monday. The matches will serve as an important opportunity for South Africa to prepare for future competitions and evaluate their team’s performance against a strong opponent like the United States.