South Africa U-17 women's national team coach, Ntombifuthi Khumalo, has commended her players for their improved performance in the second half of their 3-1 loss to Nigeria. Despite being outplayed in the first half, Khumalo's team showed resilience and determination in the second half, scoring a consolation goal through captain Katlego Malebana's penalty conversion.

Khumalo attributed the team's first-half struggles to a lack of concentration and failure to follow instructions. However, she was impressed with the team's second-half display, saying, "For the second half performance, I'm very happy for my girls... we came back strong."

The coach also praised Malebana's leadership qualities, describing her as a "special player" who shows character and leads by example. Khumalo believes Malebana has the potential to become a top leader in the future.

With the second leg scheduled for next weekend in Ikenne, Khumalo remains optimistic about her team's chances, saying, "We don't have anything to lose... we'll do our best to try and redeem ourselves and come back into the game."