Pre-WAFCON Friendlies: South Africa upsets Japan, Banyana beats Nadeshiko 1-0 in Osaka

By Harry Awurumibe, Editor, Abuja Bureau

Glasgow City FC winger, Linda Motlhalo’s 40-minute goal was all that South Africa’s Banyana Banyana needed to beat highly-rated Nadeshiko of Japan 1-0 in Osaka early Tuesday.

The victory over Japan means that South Africa has avenged their last  weekend’s 0-5 loss to their hosts in the first of the double-header international friendlies between the two countries in their first-ever meeting in any football encounter.

Coach Desireè Ellis had to dig deep into her coaching resume to fashion out a winning formular to outsmart her Japanese opposite number to restore some respect to African football. The victory has also given a peep into what Ellis is cooking agonist opponents when next month’s Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) kicks off in Morocco.

Recall that Nigeria’s Super Falcons fell 3-1 to the same Japanese ladies in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games while the Nadeshiko hammered the reigning African champions Super Falcons 2-0 in a international friendly match played at Noevir Stadium in Kobe, Japan on Thursday, October 6, 2022.