BSA spokesperson, Kabelo Kwape, said they would have liked to finalise the squad earlier, but encountered challenges in bringing players together for training camps. Most players are students and reside in different parts of the country, camping was only possible during certain weekends. Kwape said ideally, the team should be in camp, but the association does not want to disrupt students' studies.
The Under-19 side lost 5-1 to Wells over the Independence holidays in a preparatory match. Kwape said they have not secured any international friendly games for the girls, but hope to arrange matches with some of their December opponents before the tournament starts. Coach, Basiame Molatlhiwa, said he is impressed with the players' response, evidenced by their marked improvement at training. "In the first camps they were really struggling but their response is better now," he said. He said players became inactive the moment they left camp, which affected their rhythm. He hailed the ongoing softball league, adding it will keep some of their players in shape.
