Banyana Banyana started the defence of their COSAFA Women's Championship title with a 2-0 victory over Angola on Tuesday afternoon.
Banyana were in action for the first time in over a year, as head coach Desiree Ellis started the likes of Andile Dlamini, Mamello Makhabane, Koketso Tlailane and Lonathemba Mhlongo.
Click through the gallery above to see action from Banyana's opening COSAFA clash!
Banyana had the Angolan side pinned in their own half inside the opening exchanges, with threatening shots from close-range by Hilda Magaia and Mhlongo setting the tone.
Angola continued to struggle and were nearly punished by Mapula Kgaole, who collected a ball from the left-side towards before going over the top from a promising position at the midway point of the stanza.
Ellis' side found the opening goal five minutes before the halftime break when Mhlongo pounced onto a cross-field ball in the six-yard area to slot into the bottom-corner.
Mhlongo could've finished the first half with a brace two minutes to the break from a glancing header in the area, but was denied by a goal-line clearance from Lidia Lubano.
Banyana continued with their dominance following the start of the second half with a close-range header from Tlailane off a free-kick minutes in sailing wide of the mark.
Ellis made the game's first substitution 55 minutes on the clock, as the goal-scorer Mhlongo made way for Karabo Dhlamini. The change proved decisive after five minutes when Dhlamini charged onto a goal-mouth scramble involving Angola goalkeeper Rita Jose to tuck in Banyana's second goal.
It was nearly three seven minutes later from a corner-kick on the right when Bongeka Gamede got up in the centre of the area before heading against the crossbar.
Banyana still controlled the latter parts of the match though failed to add to their tally and settled for a 2-0 win in the end.
