The senior women’s national team last played a match in June, drawing 1-1 with Zimbabwe, and their schedule for 2014 does not make for good reading.
The only match confirmed so far is African Women Championships qualifier against the winner of a play-off between Mozambique and Comoros, with the annual Cyprus Cup in March yet to be confirmed.
Hilton-Smith says the delay in appointing a new Banyana coach has set them back, but says trying to organise friendlies in Africa is a headache of note.
“We’re still waiting on the appointment of the national coach, and once that is in place then obviously that person must come and tell us what they want to do,” she tells snl24.com/kickoff.
“I’ve been waiting for it for so long, but it should be pretty soon. They had the panel selection last week and the panel sat to look at the coaches; not only for Banyana, but for the Under-20 and Under-17 men and women as well. So I’m hoping by next week we will have something.”
Hilton-Smith adds: “It’s so easy for the European teams; they just catch a bus and you’re in England, Holland or whatever, but for us it’s major issue. On many occasions when we have asked other countries to come and play a friendly here they never have money, or they don’t have teams.
“It’s a big problem in Africa … the teams only assemble when there’s a competition. We’ve written to Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea … but the teams are not active in those countries either. So it’s very difficult to even get a friendly in Africa.”
Should Banyana qualify for the African Women Championships, they have a very real chance of reaching the 2015 World Cup in Canada in 2015 after FIFA allocated CAF three spots at the finals.