Newly capped Shakira O’Malley motivated to return to Banyana Banyana

The former U17 and U20 player made her South African Senior Women’s National team debut in the recent international friendly matches against Jamaica.

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Speaking exclusively to SABC Sport from Michigan, USA, where she is currently studying, O’Malley says that she is well aware that she needs to continue to work hard to get another call-up.

''Being a part of the national team is a huge honour, after my performance in Jamaica - I am even more motivated to continue to contribute to the team going forward. In order to receive another call-up I know I need to stay consistent and work hard on improving key aspects of the game and maintain a very high standard,'' said O’Malley.

The USA-based defender says she was surprised by the call-up as she had not been in the national team setup for a number of years.

The Cape Town born player says being part of the junior national teams previously and knowing some of the players in the squad helped her to settle in quickly in the Banyana Banyana team.

''Playing in the U17 and U20 definitely helped me to gain international experience very early on and helped me to prepare myself mentally. And it gave the opportunity to reconnect with players I used to play with before going to the US,'' added O’Malley.

After the experience of being with the African Champions in the two friendly matches in Jamaica, O’Malley says playing in the WAFCON would be a great opportunity to represent her country at a high level.

O’Malley says the defending champions will need to have several factors in their arsenal to be successful in retaining their WAFCON title.

''With the WAFCON being such a tough assignment, South Africa just need to stay consistent and mentally strong throughout the tournament. Go in with a game plan, focusing on the team's abilities, that will lead to the team's success at the end,'' she expressed.