Forward Thembi Kgatlana, midfielder Linda Motlhalo and defender Janine van Wyk were named to the South African Women’s National Team for the COSAFA Cup earlier this week.
The tournament will take place September 12-22 in South Africa’s Port Elizabeth. Banyana Banyana will compete in Group A against Botswana‚ Madagascar and Malawi. The South African team are four-time winners of the COSAFA Cup and will defend their title after claiming the championship in 2017.
Kgatlana has appeared in 16 matches this season for the Dash after being signed as a discovery player on Feb. 17. The forward has tallied three assists this season and scored two goals, including the final goal in Houston’s 6-1 victory over Sky Blue FC last Saturday. Kgatlana will look to repeat her success in the 2018 edition of the COSAFA Cup after she was named the Player of the Tournament in 2017.
Motlhalo has appeared in 20 matches for the Dash this season. She notched her first goal of her NWSL career in the Dash’s home finale last Saturday against Sky Blue FC. This will be the midfielder’s first appearance in international duty since the Cyprus Cup last March.
Van Wyk has been a valuable addition to the Dash’s backline since signing to the club in 2016 as a discovery player. The defender is the most experienced player on the Banyana Banyana roster with 149 caps and regularly wears the captain’s armband for her national team.
The Dash trio will depart after the final regular season game on Sept. 8 as Houston travels East to face the North Carolina Courage. With a victory, the Dash could finish with a winning record for the first time in franchise history. The game will kick off at 6:30 p.m. and will be streamed live at NWSLSoccer.com.
