21 October 2018 – South Africa’s National Under-17 Women’s team captain, Sibulele Holweni, believes that Bantwana are capable of achieving wonders in this year’s FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup.
The upcoming world cup tournament will take place in Uruguay from 13 November to 1 December 2018 and Bantwana are Group B together with Mexico, Japan and Brazil.
The 17-year old attacking central midfielder said the rigorous training camps Bantwana undertook in the build-up to this year’s world football showpiece should put them in good stead.
Holweni said that their previous camp, which saw them play two friendly matches against Spanish selected sides (UD Levante under-17 and Valencia CF Under-20) in Valencia and their current one should play a crucial role in getting them well prepared for the tourney.
Bantwana are currently in camp preparing for the FIFA Women’s Under-17 World Cup and fly out to Uruguay on 27 October to begin getting ready for the showdown.
“Coach (Simphiwe Dludlu) always reminds us of that pain always comes with gain. She always says that the time you feel pain (during a training session or match), that is when weakness is beginning to leave your body. That is why everybody is pushing hard to get better.”
For the next two weeks before the tournament, Bantwana will play hosts Uruguay on 5 November 2018 in a friendly as part of their final preparations before their Group B fixtures kick off.
“We have been talking among ourselves as players that we need to make the country proud and we want to achieve this as a collective,” Holweni said.