South Africa Striker Kgatlana Outlines Why Super Falcons Shine At AWCON; Hopes To Pick World Cup Ticket

Bayana Bayana of South Africa striker Thembi Kgatlana expects her experience in the American Women's Soccer League (NWSL) to rub off positively in her country's 2018 Africa Women's Cup of Nations (AWCON) campaign in Ghana where they hope to upstage Nigeria as the champions of the continent.

South Africa are in Group B of the tournament alongside Nigeria, Zambia and Kenya and Kgtlatlana also makes reference to the enormous talented Nigerian players based in Europe who are poised to help Nigeria gun for a ninth title.

The Houston Dash forward said:

"We bring match fitness to the national team because we train every day and play competitive football week in and week out‚" Kgatlana is quoted by www.the timeslive.co.za  on Thursday.

"This is the one area we are lacking here in South Africa. There are many players who are committed but training alone or once a week and training with a professional team is completely different.

"You learn a lot of technical and tactical things and it is something that we bring to this team and hopefully we will help and Banyana Banyana qualify for the World Cup," the forward stressed.

"It has been a good experience playing in the US but it was not easy coming from the Sasol League. Everyone in the US is professional and most of the players play for national teams around the world.

The player coached in the South African national team by Desiree Ellis also gives plaudits to her coach at Houston Dash, Vera Pauw whom she worked with in the national team previously.

"My personal development has been good under coach Vera Pauw at Houston Dash. She (Pauw) knew me very well because she coached me at the national time during her time in South Africa.

Kgatlana played for the Dash in their unsuccessful bid to reach the NWSL play-offs this season but is evidently more preoccupied with thoughts of a successful outing in Ghana.

Kgatlana was in the Banyana squad that lost 1-0 to Cote d' Ivoire in the third place final in Namibia in 2014 and missed out on a place at the last World Cup.

"What happened in 2014 was depressing because we were so close but we have learned from that experience.

"Qualifying for the World Cup would be great thing to happen to South African football because if you look at most of Nigerian players about 80% of them play overseas because of the exposure they get by playing at the World Cup.

Aside Kgtalana, the South African side boast of great talents strutting their talents in Europe like Linda Motlhalo‚ Lendra Smeda‚ Refiloe Jane and Rhoda Mulaudzi.

"We must continue knocking on that door‚ hopefully it will open in Ghana and overseas teams will slowly shift their eye to more South African players."

"With regard to the Cup of Nations in Ghana‚ we don't want to count our chickens before the eggs hatch. But it is going to be an interesting tournament with the best eight countries on the continent fighting for the three World Cup spots.

Only the top three teams in Ghana (winners, runners up and third place team) will qualify for the World Cup to be held in France.

Ghana, Cameroon, Mali and Algeria make up Group A of the tournament to hold in Accra and Cape Coast.

Izuchukwu Okosi