Goalkeeping specialist Alex Heredia believes that Banyana Banyana's first-choice goalkeeper, Kaylin Swart, should have started ahead of Ayanda Dlamini in the match against Nigeria.
Heredia points out that although Dlamini performed well against Senegal in the quarter-finals of the WAFCON, where she saved two penalties in the shoot-outs, she did not deliver her best performance against Nigeria in the semi-finals.
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A late reaction from Dlamini allowed Nigeria to score a late winning goal in Tuesday's match, resulting in a 1-2 loss for South Africa.
“In the past seven years or more, we’ve had two excellent goalkeepers in Kaylin Swart and Andile Dlamini; both are at a similar level, albeit with completely different styles,” Heredia tells KickOff.
“Kaylin is organized, offers herself to receive the ball, and is very good with distribution. Dlamini, on the other hand, is more athletic and emotional.”
Heredia notes that coach Desiree Ellis faced significant pressure after Swart’s minor mistake in the match she played.
“Against Nigeria, Dlamini was not solid; she was not effective during the game. She made several mistakes and her distribution was not accurate,” he said.
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"You don’t change a goalkeeper who has performed well in a World Cup and regularly plays for Banyana Banyana in such a crucial event. In my opinion, Desiree was under pressure to change the goalkeeper because the media criticized Swart harshly."
Heredia emphasizes that consistency is crucial for a goalkeeper’s success.
“Changing a goalkeeper is always risky,” he added.
“Dlamini played against Senegal, a less challenging team, where she had very few interventions."
Banyana Banyana will face Ghana on Friday in a battle for third place in the tournament.