It was six of the best for the soccer girls as Team South Africa opened their AUS Region 5 Games campaign on Friday night.
It was six of the best for the soccer girls as Team South Africa opened their AUS Region 5 Games campaign on Friday night.
After an impressive opening ceremony at the Coqueiros Stadium, the girls faced host nation Angola in the first sporting action of these Games.
And coach Sheryl Botes couldn’t have asked for a better start as they went 1-0 up in the opening minute as Khanya Xesi knocked home a rebound after a free kick into the box by Caryn van Reyneveldt.
That was the first of six goals banged in without reply on a balmy Luanda evening.
Coach Botes wore a smile that would have stretched all the way back to her base in Pretoria when, after 10 minutes the score was doubled by a Karabo Dlamini penalty after an Angolan defender had handled in the box.
Captained by Western Cape player Chamelle Wilshire, the bulk of this side comes from Pretoria, at the SAFA Girls’ Soccer Academy. That much was evident as they showed way more cohesion against a home side that showed touches of good play but couldn’t sustain it for any given time.
Eight minutes before half time it was 3-0 with Sibulele Molweni latching on to a cross from the right, steadying herself nicely before drilling in a low and hard shot that gave Rita Gabriela Luis Jose no chance in the Angolan goal.
A fair amount of injuries to both sides saw Namibian referee Letichia Manga adding a fair bit of time to the first half and Dlamini took full advantage to make it 4-0 with a lovely piece of individual work. She drove hard down the left flank, cut inside two defenders and then picked her spot past the keeper.
The second half didn’t start as fast as the first but there was always going to be more to come and it was the 25th minute when Drishana Pillay, she of the highly recognisable crested blonde hairstyle, headed home to make it 5-0.
One further goal came South Africa’s way, courtesy of Zimasa Dekeda, to make it a 6-0 whitewash and get the team’s bid to defend their status as the leading regional sports powerhouse off to a running start.