The series, which features Banyana, Botswana and Zambia, serves as preparation for the 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, set to take place in Morocco.

Adrielle Mibe opened the scoring at Lucas Moripe Stadium, with Jermaine Seoposenwe netting a brace to help South Africa race to a 3-0 lead within the first 35 minutes.

Lesego Radiakanyo pulled one back for Botswana just before half-time, and Laone Moloi added a second in the 62nd minute, but it wasn’t enough to stop South Africa from claiming the win.

Reflecting on the performance, coach Desiree Ellis said she was pleased with the result, but highlighted the need for improvement, especially in terms of concentration. “We knew they were going to play long for that first goal.

“The second one was of our own making. We spoke about being patient on the ball and not forcing things, but we played into traffic when we could’ve gone wide. It was a bit of a lapse in concentration. The tempo dropped in the second half. In the first half, we moved the ball well and kept the intensity high, but that dropped off after the break.”

Amogelang Motau. Photo: X

Looking ahead, Ellis emphasised the importance of better ball retention. “We definitely need to improve our possession. We gave the ball away too easily at times, and that’s something we’ll need to sharpen up on.”

On Saturday (31/5), Zambia will kick off their campaign against Botswana, while South Africa will face the Zambians on Tuesday.

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek