Asanda Hadebe looks forward to taking lessons from Japan

The South African senior women’s national team is currently preparing to face Japan on 6 and 9 June in Osaka, with coach Desiree Ellis using the two international friendlies as an opportunity to assess her squad ahead of the continental showpiece.

Hadebe says regardless of the scorelines in the two encounters, the team’s main objective is to take lessons against one of the world’s top-ranked sides.

“For me, it is very exciting to be here. This is what I have been looking forward to after making the COSAFA squad. My main goal was to return to the senior national team set-up. For us, whether we win or lose, the focus is not on the results but on using this experience to assess our performances ahead of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations,” said Hadebe.

Japan, who have won the AFC Women’s Asian Cup three times, are currently ranked fifth in the world. Hadebe believes facing such strong opposition is exactly the type of challenge the team needs ahead of WAFCON.

“As a team, we are happy because we are playing against the fifth-ranked team in the world. We are here to learn and take notes. No matter the results, we will take lessons from these matches and continue preparing for WAFCON,” added Hadebe.

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Hadebe was also part of the Banyana Banyana squad that secured a silver medal at the 2025 COSAFA Women’s Championship. She says the latest call-up is another opportunity to push for a place in the final WAFCON squad.

“This is the moment I have been waiting for since the COSAFA tournament. My mind is already focused on WAFCON, but even if I do not make the final squad, I will go back to the drawing board and work on fixing my mistakes,” she expressed.