COSAFA Banyana coach Maud Khumalo is singing the praises of her fairly young team, following their disappointing cup final loss against Zambia in the penalty shootout. Khumalo is keeping her optimism despite losing the final at the Isaac Wolfson Stadium in Gqeberha, saying that it was a great experience. “Tournaments like these bring value, they enable coaches and players to gain more experience, and to get used to the different levels of the game,” she said. “The teams and the countries we played against, you could see that they are building, and they’re learning a lot.” “Some countries, you could see, they are already playing at a certain level. So, I think that these kinds of tournaments bring the best out of the national teams and women’s football. It’s a tournament that needs to be taken seriously,” she continued. “We need to make sure that when we talk to the players, we tell them that this is where everything starts. This is where everything starts, and it must not be taken for granted.” COSAFA Banyana had a smooth tournament until the final, scoring 12 goals in the process and only conceding one goal against the Seychelles. Khumalo also added that several players in the group showed up well for the tournament and she expects them to go far in their football careers.