Banyana Banyana midfielder Nompumelelo Nyandeni believes the national team will gain valuable experience playing against world champions USA.

The USA are the number one side in the rankings and are current World champions, while Banyana Banyana are ranked 54th.

The 28-year-old says it’s important to play them as part of preparations for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, which take place in August, reports Safa.net.

‘I think it’s going to be a very difficult match because firstly there are no easy teams in international competition, secondly they are the world champions. They have a lot of experience and it is important for us to go there and learn as much as possible before the Olympics,’ said Nyandeni.

‘We are the underdogs and the USA has been at the top for a long time, so this is a very appropriate game to gauge ourselves. After this match, when we get to Rio we should already know what to expect.’

The midfielder believes Banyana Banyana has improved since their back-to-back defeats against the Netherlands and can now take the next step forward when they play the United States.

‘I learnt that in international football you need to release the ball early, always strive to play forward in search of goals, and most importantly to play as a team,’ she added.

‘There has been a lot of improvement since the Holland game – and we saw at our first training session after our return that we are doing things differently, in a positive way. I think as a team we have moved another step forward.’

The WFC Rossiyanka midfielder is set to become the second highest capped player in Banyana Banyana history, currently sitting on 124 caps, while captain Janine van Wyk is the most capped with 130 appearances.

Banyan Banyana will take on USA at Soldier Field in Illinois on Saturday, July 9.

Kick-off has been set for 19:00.

Image: Safa.net