(Reuters) – South Africa goalkeeper Andile Dlamini says the team’s development and unity in recent years will give them a better Women’s World Cup than last time for the African Champions.
The 30-year-old was a key player in the South Africa side which lifted their first Women’s Africa Cup of Nations title last year.
She said that recent success and feeling of unity had increased the belief within the team that the results from their inaugural tournament four years ago, in which they lost all three matches, will not be repeated.
“(That’s)the feel that we need to keep with going to the World Cup, because if you have that unity and bond and nothing comes between you guys, nothing will distract you,” she said in an interview on the FIFA website.
“So we had that. That’s why we won the African Cup of Nations.”
She said South Africa will need to be clinical and disciplined at the showpiece tournament, adding: “Every chance that we create needs to be in the back of the net. We need to play more compact and not lose discipline on the field of play.”
South Africa start their campaign against Sweden on July 23 before playing Argentina and Italy in Group G.
The ninth women’s World Cup is being hosted by New Zealand and Australia.
(Reporting by Tommy Lund in Gdansk; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
