Banyana Banyana coach Dr Desiree Ellis has announced the squad that will face Zambia and Botswana in international friendlies to be played this month.

The Sasol-sponsored South African senior women’s national team will play against Botswana on Wednesday, 28 May 2025, and then Botswana and Zambia will face off against each other on Saturday, 31 May 2025. Then Dr Ellis’ charges will wrap up the Three-Nations series against Zambia on Tuesday, 3 June 2025.

The matches are part of the senior women’s national team’s preparations for the defense of their Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title as the countdown continues to the continental tournament to be hosted in Morocco from 5-26 July 2025.

Dr Ellis: “We are the highest ranked team in the COSAFA region, but I don’t think that means anything. I think being the WAFCON defending champions as well, I think that carries a bit of weight on your back with everybody wanting to play you and wanting to beat you and come up and put up the best performance.

“But we also know that it’s a test not just for us but for them. We’re all going to the WAFCON. Botswana got to the quarterfinals, Zambia got to the semi-finals the last time. So the test is for us but just so much as it is for them, and I think the physicality that both of them are going to bring is something we sometimes struggle with.

“I think we’ve got to have more control and this will help us to see where we are with that. Defensively we’ve got to be sound and obviously at set-pieces we’re going to be challenged with the area that they have. The speed of both teams’ attack that they have, we’ve got to be able to then organise our defensive shape better because that is what’s going to happen at WAFCON.”

All three matches will be played at the Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville and kick off is at 15h00 for all of them.