Banyana Banyana

A view of Banyana during the Albertina Sisulu Challenge match between South Africa and Sweden at Cape Town Stadium on January 22, 2018 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images)

Banyana thrash Comoros 17-0 to kick off Cosafa Cup campaign

Banyana Banyana began their Cosafa Women’s Championship campaign is style as they put Comoros to the sword in Port Elizabeth on Wednesday.

Banyana Banyana

A view of Banyana during the Albertina Sisulu Challenge match between South Africa and Sweden at Cape Town Stadium on January 22, 2018 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images)

Banyana Banyana have kicked off Cosafa Women’s Championship with a more than resounding victory over the Comoros in Port Elizabeth on Wednesday.

South Africa’s women’s senior national team were playing their first competitive match since returning from the Fifa Women’s World Cup in France.

They came up against the minnows, whom they put 13 goals past the last time the two sides met.

The game began as was expected, with the small island nation running backwards and doing most, if not all of the defending.

It looked as if there would be no double-digit scoreline this time around, as they managed to keep their more illustrious opponents out for the opening ten minutes.

However, resistance proved futile, with Tiisetso Makhubela opening the scoring – and the floodgates – soon after.

Ode Fulutidulu was next on the scoresheet and, on the half-hour mark, it was 4-0 after a Mamello Makhabane strike followed up an own goal from the visitors.

Banyana skipper, Refiloe Jane added the first of her four goals on the day, before Busisiwe Ndimeni ensured that the hosts go into the break six goals up.

The second half would prove worse for the Comoros, who offered none of the fight their offered in the opening stages of the previous stanza.

With just a minute on the clock after the break, Bambanani Mbane struck to make it 7-0 before Jane got her second six minutes later.

A foul on the box allowed Mbane to grab her second from the penalty spot, and Amanda Mthandi ensured that Banyana crossed double figures soon after.

Substitute Hilda Magaia also got in on the action in the 76th minute before Mthandi equalled Jane and Mebane on two goals on the night.

The skipper would break away from her teammates as she completed her hat trick to make it 13-0, and there were a further four goals as she got her fourth, with Mthandi grabbing three as well, while Kholosa Biyana and Magaia chipped in with more goals to make it 17-0.