Basetsana Humble World Champs

The South African national U20 women’s soccer team pictured a the High Performance Centre in Pretoria, shortly before their departure for Germany.

Having secured a result as amazing as it is unprecedented, South Africa’s U20 national women’s soccer side, Basetsana are on cloud nine after playing to a one-all draw against the Women’s U20 World Champions Germany, in Germany on Thursday afternoon.

Lusida Bowers, the 18-year old striker from the Northern Cape was the one to score for the South African age-group side, but it must have been a monumental effort from the team as a whole to earn that remarkable achievement.

Speaking to gsport on her way back to camp, team manager Fran Hilton-Smith practically lost for words: “A historic game,” exclaimed Hilton-Smith. “[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][An] amazing result against the World- and European Champions.”

Interviewed by the Sowetan before their departure, Hilton-Smith said. “We have never before had a chance to play against international opposition of this calibre, but I’m convinced we can qualify for the World Cup, and when we do, we have to be ready to handle the kind of challenge presented by the best teams in the world.”

Perhaps the home side will regret the coaching sessions conducted for South Africa by former German world champion coach, Tina Theuene-Meyer, who would have been intimately aware of the strengths and weaknesses of her national team.

This result will go some distance to returning some pride to South African women’s international soccer, with the national women’s team Banyana Banyana against the ropes in their effort to qualify for Beijing, 2008.

The Basetsana squad now face the Dutch U19 side, in further preparation for their qualifier against Mozambique in January in advance of their campaign to qualify for Chile later next year.

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