With Banyana Banyana set for their final FIFA Women's World Cup Group G match against Italy on Wednesday, all eyes in Mzansi will be on coach Desiree Ellis and the team in their quest to qualify for the next stage of the tournament.
So far, Banyana have picked up one point after two matches, having lost 2-1 to Sweden in their opener, while the match against Argentina last Friday finished in a 2-2 draw.
The team is third on the log and a victory against Italy could see them progress, should log leaders Sweden beat bottom-placed Argentina in a match to be played on the same day and time.
Prominent South African football supporter Joy 'Mama Joy' Chauke, who has been in New Zealand and supporting Banyana, is hopeful of the team's qualification for the next round.
The Good
"After the Sweden and Italy game, I think we've got a good chance because if we can win the game against Italy we are going to make it. We are going to make it and progress further than the group stages. Now it's up to us, we are no longer depending on anyone and we just have to win our last game. When we played against Argentina, the game was nice and we played well. What is left for us as South Africans is to go and show that we are not here just to add numbers but we are here to compete. People now believe in us and they also respect us for the way we play," said Chauke.
The Bad
The Kaylin Swart and Andile Dlamini debate
"We all know that Andile is a good goalkeeper and I remember when she played in Morocco (during the Women's Africa Cup of Nations), we won that competition. But now Andile has not been in the starting line-up and all South Africans are saying they want Andile to be in goals as opposed to Kaylin Swart. But the coach is the one who is making the line-ups so she is the one who can tell us as the supporters why she is not playing Andile. As I am here in New Zealand, I can't go to the coach and ask her why (she hasn't been playing Andile). It's her job to select the line-ups and it's not my job to tell her who to put in the starting line-up. We have to trust her with her decisions and whatever," she said.
The Ugly
Last Friday, SAFA issued a statement denying the allegations made about the association's President Dr Danny Jordaan and Ellis.
It has been alleged on social media that senior Banyana players had a meeting with Ellis ahead of the match against Argentina and demanded that Dlamini should play ahead of teammate Swart.
Further allegations had been that Ellis did not play Dlamini because she is being blamed by Jordaan as the initiator of the pay dispute that preceded the team's departure to the World Cup.
SAFA confirmed that no such meeting ever took place and that Jordaan is not involved in team selections.
"Those who are saying that Dr. Jordaan is the one doing that because of the allegations that Andile was involved when they were busy with the bonus thing are wrong. On that note, I can say it and say it again, Dr. Jordaan won't do such. By doing that he would be sabotaging himself. We know that Andile is a good player and I don't think he (Jordaan) can do that to a young talented woman even if it was not Andile but someone else. Hands off Dr. Jordaan, he is not involved in those things. Dr. Jordaan is the president who is here to support all the girls in the team and not to sabotage the players and coach. He is here to watch the games, as I am also here to watch the games as a supporter. I'm not defending him but I know that he won't do that. He won't even try to do that. Hands off my president, he won't break a young and talented woman like Andile," Chauke said.
"I'm not undermining the coach"
"It has been alleged that Andile initiated the bonus thing, and knowing her, I don't think she did that. I'm not defending her, Andile is just a player who wants to play. When she is between the goalposts, you can see that she is focused. By watching her when she played in Morocco, she did very well. I'm not saying the coach is not doing the right thing, the coach is right with her line-ups because she is the one who sees the players in training and everything. But Andile was there when we won WAFCON and in my opinion we should be using her again for this big one. Some people are saying it's probably because she hasn't been playing for her team Sundowns. But she was injured and it's not like she hasn't been playing because she wasn't performing. She is now fine and I'm not undermining the coach and it's just my opinion as a supporter and I'm also not undermining Kaylin Swart," concluded Chauke.
Should Ellis make goalkeeping change for Banyana?
