Refiloe Jane reflects on the COSAFA Cup draw

The tournament will be played in Gqeberha later this month. The host nation has been drawn in Group A alongside Namibia, Eswatini and the Seychelles.

SAFA has appointed University of Pretoria coach Maud Khumalo to lead the team in the absence of Desiree Ellis who will be heading to Denmark and England with another set of players for friendly matches.

Speaking exclusively to SABC Sport, Jane is confident her compatriots will do well, especially at COSAFA.

"I have seen the COSAFA squad for Banyana Banyana and I think the players stand a chance of showcasing their best at this year's edition. We've got players playing in the Hollywoodbets Super League coming in to showcase their talent,” Jane said.

“It's quite a young squad which is good for our future, our future starts now and these players are what we will look at in the near future to represent Banyana Banyana at international competitions.

“Looking at South Africa's group, I think we stand a good chance of advancing to the semi-finals but you can't take it for granted or take it lightly. Any team is out here to win the tournament so it will be difficult even though they stand a good chance of advancing."

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"You look at the expansion of the added teams in the tournament, it will be interesting to see how they field. Also, South Africa is the host, they'll want to win the tournament as home ground advantage,” she added.

“Malawi as the holders, they'll want to retain their trophy and now you look at Zambia who's got the international experience from the Olympics and the World Cup, they'll want to showcase all that experience that they got at those competitions but you can't write off the countries like Zimbabwe and Botswana."