Port Elizabeth-born Banyana Banyana goalkeeper Kaylin Swart says there are plenty of positives to dwell on despite their 2-1 defeat to Chile in Vina del Mar on Saturday.
Forced to play a player short after Jermaine Seoposenwe was red-carded for a late tackle as early as the 38th minute, Banyana put up a brave fight against the hosts at Estadio Sausalito.
US-based goalkeeper Swart said the team would be better prepared for their next match, which is scheduled for Estadio Santa Laura in Santiago on Tuesday.
The friendlies are a build-up to the Afcon tournament taking place in Ghana next month.
“There were a lot of positives to take from our first friendly against Chile,” Swart said.
“The fight was there from the girls and I think that is what we will definitely take to the next game,” the 24-year-old shot-stopper said.
“Going into the game we knew what it was going to take for us to get a result.
“It’s disappointing that we lost the way we did, but everyone is pretty excited about the next game because now we know what it is going to take for us to play even harder against Chile.”
Swart said the biggest lesson the team had learnt was that they would have to take their chances in front of goal.
“The coaches know what is required now, so I think they are much more prepared for us,” Swart said.
“The next training session will be a reflection of what we did on Saturday,” she said.
This was Banyana’s first loss in seven matches.
After losing to Sweden in January in Cape Town, they registered back-to-back victories over Lesotho in the Africa Women’s Cup of Nations qualifiers earlier this year.
Banyana continued their winning streak when they went unbeaten in five matches while defending their Cosafa Cup title in Port Elizabeth.
They have now set their sights on booking themselves at spot at the 2019 World Cup in France.
Banyana are determined to finish in the top three positions at the Afcon tournament, which will guarantee them a ticket to France.