- Head coach Ntombifuthi Khumalo remains confident ahead of Sunday’s 4:00 PM clash at Nyayo Stadium,
- She believe South Africa can overturn their 2-0 first-leg home defeat if they correct their final-third wastefulness.
- Despite playing in front of a hostile away crowd, Khumalo is relying on her squad’s extensive international pedigree to sail through.
South Africa’s Under-17 Women’s National Team head coach, Ntombifuthi Khumalo, remains unfazed by the daunting task of overturning a two-goal deficit away from home as her side prepares for a showdown against Kenya on Sunday afternoon.
Bantwana arrived in Nairobi facing a steep uphill battle after suffering a 2-0 defeat on home soil in the first leg of the final round of the World Cup Qualifiers.
However, speaking ahead of the return leg on Sunday afternoon at the Nyayo National Stadium, Khumalo insisted that the tie is far from over.
“We need to be cautious because the first leg the result was not in our favor, but we know that the 90 minutes will be fair for both of us to make the decision for who will go to the World Cup,” Khumalo stated, maintaining absolute belief in her young squad.
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Reflecting on the opening leg, Khumalo pointed out that the scoreline did not accurately reflect the balance of play.
South Africa created numerous scoring opportunities but paid a heavy price for a lack of composure in the final third, including a missed penalty,an error she has spent the week correcting.
“What we did, we need to try to do our best when it comes to the final third because we created so many chances, we failed to convert those chances,” Khumalo explained. “We were working on that. Also, how we conceded the goal,our girls need to be compact and more disciplined in terms of defending.”
Khumalo further highlighted the threat posed by Kenya’s frontline. “They are good in terms of speed. They have that. Also, they are good on individual quality,like their strikers, they know how to convert the goals. If you give them a chance, they will punish you.”
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While the Junior Starlets will have the backing of a vocal home crowd at Nyayo Stadium, Khumalo is banking on the big-game experience embedded within the South African developmental pipeline. Unlike their opponents, many of the South African starlets have already tasted top-tier international competition.
“Most of the girls are from the Under-15, so they have experience internationally,” the former Banyana Banyana player noted.
“Although it’s not going to be an easy game, I believe in my team because most of them have achieved more. Some were called into Banyana and the Under-20s. With the experience and the belief, I’m sure we’ll get a positive result.”
Bantwana will need to score at least three goals to secure automatic qualification when the center referee sounds the whistle at 4:00 PM on Sunday to fancy their chances of qualification to the 2026 World Cup.