Linda Moreotsene

Linda Moreotsene

Kylie-Anne Louw, Banyana Banyana captain, pictured, says matches like Saturday's international friendly against neighbours Namibia offer them a great chance to work on their flaws before prestigious tournaments.

One such tournament is a four-nations tournament in the Netherlands against high-ranking China, Switzerland and the hosts in July.

Since their outstand showing at the 2008 African Women's Championships in Equatorial Guinea, where they came second, August Makalakalane's charges have been accorded a new level of respect, as demonstrated by invitations to high-profile tournaments such as this one.

Louw said it was where they noticed shortcomings in their game.

"Our upper body strength needs some work as we tend to get bumped off the ball a lot. However, we do have skill, which is something a lot of teams overseas don't have," she said.

An exciting development for Banyana is the imminent introduction of Mpumalanga striker Mamphasha Popela.