Kaylin Swart anticipates tactical battle as Banyana wrap up Algeria friendlies

The South African national team secured a 1-0 victory in their opening match on Tuesday and will be aiming to build on that performance when they face the North African side again this afternoon at King Zwelithini Stadium in Durban.

Swart believes the two matches have come at the right time, offering both teams a valuable opportunity to fine-tune their squads ahead of this year’s Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

“Looking forward to the next game, I think they are going to introduce a different team. If you saw their changes in the first match, they were quite impactful. This upcoming clash is going to be different. I am expecting a tactical, technical and very physical contest, but we are ready for it. It has been good preparation for both teams as we look ahead to WAFCON,” said Swart.

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Reflecting on their 1-0 win at Princess Magogo Stadium, Swart admitted the team was caught off guard by Algeria’s approach, and noted a shift in style and increased physicality.

“If you think about how long ago we last played Algeria, they really surprised us. We knew what they could bring, but they showed a different style of play, and their physicality has improved a lot. It was an eye-opener, and I’m looking forward to the next game,” added Swart.

The 31-year-old adds that Banyana are currently in a transition phase, as the coaching staff works to integrate younger players into the squad. Despite this, she emphasised that the team’s objectives remain unchanged.

“The coaches are trying to build, experimenting with combinations and introducing younger players. But the goal remains the same - we want to score more, perform better and execute what we are working on at training. We want to continue from where we left off on Tuesday, deliver a strong performance and make the coaches’ jobs easier,” she expressed.