England responded to their humbling defeat against Germany with a 2-1 victory over South Africa in their second outing of the international break.
Sarina Wiegman made eight changes to the starting line-up and saw a total change in style and composure over the first 45 minutes. In midfield Grace Clinton was a breath of fresh air, tracking back, making runs and taking shots in a blistering performance that proves she is ready for a permanent run in the team.
Leah Williamson, making her 50th appearance for England, banished the demons from Friday night by slotting home the opening goal and send the Lionesses into the lead. It was a cathartic moment for the captain but one that didn’t last.
Clinton’s headed finish sent England into the break with a two-goal cushion but their advantage was halved as mistakes crept into the team. Williamson’s poor pass to Georgia Stanway gave the ball away to Thembi Kgatlana who swept into the box and scored South Africa’s first ever goal against England.
It wasn’t enough though as Wiegman brought on her experienced substitutes to see out the win.
Relive the action with our live blog below:
England vs South Africa LIVEREPORT: ‘Sloppy’ England squeeze past South Africa but Sarina Wiegman left with cause for concern
79’ SAVE! Earps denies Kgatlana from close range (ENG 2-1 RSA)
55’ GOAL! Thembi Kgatlana slots home to pull one back (ENG 2-1 RSA)
23’ GOAL! Grace Clinton doubles lead with fine goal (ENG 2-0 RSA)
12’ GOAL! Leah Williamson sends England into the lead (ENG 1-0 RSA)
‘Sloppy’ England squeeze past South Africa but Sarina Wiegman left with cause for concern
22:22 , Mike Jones
Leah Williamson and Grace Clinton scored in the first half to help England edge to a 2-1 victory over South Africa in Coventry.
England’s fast start was in contrast to their 4-3 defeat to Germany on Friday, which saw them three down in the first half-hour. Williamson’s goal on the occasion of her 50th cap gave England reward for their dominance before Clinton slammed home a header to give the Lionesses a two-goal lead heading into the break.
That was as good as it got for the hosts, who took their foot off the gas in the second period. Their defence has been questioned in recent months and they were unable to keep a clean sheet against a side 50th in the FIFA world rankings as Thembi Kgatlana halved the deficit.
‘Sloppy’ England squeeze past South Africa but Wiegman left with concerns
Wiegman addresses counter-attacking issue
22:14 , Mike Jones
England have been opened up repeatedly on the counter-attack in the last two matches and that concern will leave Sarina Wiegman with sleepless nights.
When asked about it she said: “We need to keep trying, keep playing football, keep playing forwards. Just feeling at the moment in transition, they really jumped on us. Just talk about it and move forward.”
Wiegman reacts to England win
22:13 , Mike Jones
Here are some thoughts from England boss Sarina Wiegman. She told ITV: “I thought after the first half it would be more straightforward. We played well in the first half, we had some stronger moments. We were a little too sloppy but we created some chances from corners.
“We scored a very good goal. Second half we got there but we were a little sloppy. They were smart on the counter-attack and it was hard for us.”
USA await
22:03 , Mike Jones
England’s next fixture is against the United States at Wembley on November 30th. Emma Hayes’ side are Olympic champions and are one of the best teams in the world.
This will be the biggest test for the Lionesses in a while and the basic mistakes the players are making will be heavily punished. Work to do in the next month or so.
‘We were sloppy’ says Wiegman
22:01 , Mike Jones
Sarina Wiegman is giving her reaction to the game on ITV. There big thing she’s stressing is how England were ‘sloppy’ in their performance.
Full quotes to come.
Does Clinton think she’ll start at Euro 2025?
22:00 , Mike Jones
Grace Clinton was asked whether she believed she can cement a starting berth at Euro 2025 next summer. She replied: “Everyone wants to play for England, for their country. I want to keep confident and keep getting goals.”
On starting at Euro 2025 being a target: “Yes, definitely.”
Post-match reaction from Grace Clinton
21:57 , Mike Jones
England midfielder Grace Clinton spoke to ITV after the match and said: “It was a tough game, South Africa are a great team. We expected them to be tough and we dealt with their individual qualities.
“It is a good night for me. I’m nice and confident and I’m happy to be there. She (Maya Le Tissier) actually looked up for me and everything. The ball was amazing, it was hard not to finish.
“I think they’re a really tough opposition. Their pace is crazy. We’ll go back and review the game together but it’s positive.”
FT England 2-1 South Africa
21:54 , Mike Jones
No more goals in the second half for England despite bringing on the big guns. They still won the game but there were gaping holes and simple errors abundant in the Lionesses performance.
Lots for Sarina Wiegman to work on.
FT England 2-1 South Africa
21:50 , Mike Jones
(Action Images via Reuters)
(Bradley Collyer/PA Wire)
(REUTERS)
Full-time! England 2-1 South Africa
21:43 , Mike Jones
90+5 mins: England have done it!
They were made to work hard in the second half, especially after the goal from Kgatlana but their experience paid off and they’ve got the win they were after.
England 2-1 South Africa
21:37 , Mike Jones
90 mins: Five minutes of added time to play in Coventry. Can the Lionesses hold on to this lead?
England 2-1 South Africa
21:33 , Mike Jones
85 mins: There’s a bit of late pressure from England now. Alessia Russo is brought down and a free kick awarded to the hosts. It’s sent into the box and cleared away but the Lionesses come again.
A second cross looks dangerous but Dlamini confidently slaps the ball away.
England 2-1 South Africa
21:27 , Mike Jones
82 mins: Save!
At the other end of the pitch the ball comes loose to Ella Toone who drills a first time effort at goal and forces a save stop out of the substitute goalkeer Andile Dlamini.
She palms the ball over the top and gives up a corner.
England 2-1 South Africa
21:26 , Mike Jones
79 mins: Save!
Wow. Thembi Kgatlana is quick and easily flies by Millie Bright despite the defender having a couple of yards on her. The South African carries the ball into the box and shoots only for Mary Earps to make herself big and keep deny the visitors an equaliser.
Huge moment.
England 2-1 South Africa
21:24 , Mike Jones
78 mins: Kgatlana has another chance to score but her effort is deflected wide by Lucy Bronze who has been incredibly busy since her introduction.
The South Africans seem the most likely to score at the minute. These closing stages will be very interesting for England.
England 2-1 South Africa
21:21 , Mike Jones
75 mins: Disallowed! Kgatlana has the ball in the back of the net once more after a forward pass sends her sprinting in behind. She’s got the pace to beat Lucy Bronze to the box and then belts a shot past Mary Earps only to get flagged offside.
England are living dangerously. If they play like this against the USA in November they’ll be beaten by a large margin.
England 2-1 South Africa
21:18 , Mike Jones
73 mins: Wiegman is prepping her last two substitutions with Millie Bright and Lauren Hemp ready to come on. Leah Williamson will be one of the players to make way as she’s starting to make a few simple mistakes.
Beth Mead is the other player replaced.
England 2-1 South Africa
21:16 , Mike Jones
70 mins: Great from Lucy Bronze!
Kgatlana is fed in behind the England defence again and sprints up the pitch before squaring a pass across to Hildah Magaia. Magaia shoots but Bronze is across quickly and blocks the effort.
England 2-1 South Africa
21:15 , Mike Jones
67 mins: England’s substitutes are trying to settle into the rhythm of the game with the momentum seemingly leaning towards the visitors are they hunt for an equaliser.
Sarina Wiegman is a ruthless manager. She won’t want to sit back and defend this lead, she’ll want to score more goals.
England 2-1 South Africa
21:10 , Mike Jones
64 mins: Sarina Wiegman makes four changes all at once for England as she wants to get control of the game again. On come Lucy Bronze, Fran Kirby, Alessia Russo and Ella Toone.
They replace Esme Morgan, Jess Park, Grace Clinton and Jessica Naz. It’s an influx of experience which should provide a bit of stability for the Lionesses.
England 2-1 South Africa
21:07 , Mike Jones
61 mins: Chloe Kelly finds a touch of space and lets fly from range. She strikes it well and rattles the top of the crossbar!
England 2-1 South Africa
21:06 , Mike Jones
58 mins: South Africa have scored their first ever goal against England with that Kgatlana finish. It was well taken and a sign of the quality she holds.
After setting up some fine chances for others in the first half she’s taken one herself and got her team back in the game.
GOAL! England 2-1 South Africa (Thembi Kgatlana, 55 mins)
21:02 , Mike Jones
55 mins: Great finish!
England are punished. It’s another error from the captain as a loose pass from Leah Williamson ends up giving possession away to the visitors.
Thembi Kgatlana sprints onto the ball and drives forward. She’s got plenty of work to do to bet Mary Earps but nestles a superb finish past the goalkeeper and pulls one back.
Game on!
England 2-0 South Africa
20:58 , Mike Jones
51 mins: Tiisetso Makhubela barges into Grace Clinton and knocks her over. She lands awkwardly and jars her right arm. It looks like a painful one but she’s back up and ready to play on with a grimace of determination.
England 2-0 South Africa
20:54 , Mike Jones
48 mins: Jess Park attempts to weave her way into the box from the left side but is halted before making any real progress.
England look to keep possession and control the tempo of the match again. A switch of play comes out to Kelly who decides against a forward run and slots it back inside to Park.
Second half! England 2-0 South Africa
20:52 , Mike Jones
The visitors get the ball rolling again for the second half. They’ve made a couple of changes with Andile Dlamini replacing Kaylin Swart in goal and Kholosa Biyana coming on for Sinoxolo Cesane.
HT England 2-0 South Africa
20:47 , Mike Jones
Here’s a look at Leah Williamson’s opener, it’s safe to say the England captain enjoyed that one:
HT England 2-0 South Africa
20:43 , Mike Jones
England managed six shots in the first half with half of them hitting the target. The more worrying sign is that they allowed South Africa, ranked 50th in the world, to have four efforts.
The visitors lacked composure in front of goal or else this could have been a very different game.
HT England 2-0 South Africa
20:39 , Mike Jones
So far so good for England. Grace Clinton has been the star of the show in the first half. Sarina Wiegman will be impressed.
(Bradley Collyer/PA Wire)
(The FA via Getty Images)
(Getty Images)
Half-time! England 2-0 South Africa
20:35 , Mike Jones
45+4 mins: England head into the break with a strong lead but there have been plenty of opportunities for South Africa to strike at them.
Better quality in front of goal and this match could become interesting. Sarina Wiegman will be whelmed I think. England’s defence continues to cause issues.
Mary Earps has been solid in goal though to settle some nerves.
England 2-0 South Africa
20:32 , Mike Jones
45+1: Four minutes of added time to play at the end of the first half.
England 2-0 South Africa
20:31 , Mike Jones
45 mins: Alex Greenwood and Beth Mead stand over a free kick right in front of goal. It’s a long way out but both will fancy their chances.
Mead is the one to strike it but she doesn’t get the best connection and sends it straight into the hands of the goalkeeper.
England 2-0 South Africa
20:27 , Mike Jones
41 mins: England look in complete control of this match. Amogelang Maseyo Motau is down after clearing an aerial ball and being clattered by her own teammate Sinoxolo Cesane.
It looks like another back issue. These aren’t good signs for the South African side.
England 2-0 South Africa
20:24 , Mike Jones
38 mins: There’s an issue with South Africa goalkeeper Kaylin Swart who stays down after taking a knock to the back. After some on-field treatment, Swart plays on.
The back-up goalkeeper has been sent out to warm up. One to keep an eye on.
England 2-0 South Africa
20:19 , Mike Jones
35 mins: South Africa are missing quality.
England give the ball away and Kgatlana drives it towards the box. She dinks a fine pass into the left side of the area where Magaia arrives but can’t turn the ball towards goal under pressure from Maya Le Tissier.
England 2-0 South Africa
20:17 , Mike Jones
32 mins: There’s a lot of dramatics when South Africa get forward and threaten the England goal. Ramalepe dribbles down the wing and swings in a fine cross.
Thembi Kgatlana leaps for an overhead kick but misses the ball and the next South African fumbles her touch allowing England to clear the danger.
England 2-0 South Africa
20:15 , Mike Jones
29 mins: There’s too much work for Chloe Kelly to do on the right side of the box. She attempts to get the ball around two defenders but runs out of room whilst looking for a cross.
She’s been sharp and lively on the right side for the Lionesses.
England 2-0 South Africa
20:13 , Mike Jones
26 mins: Clinton is penalised for a poor tackle on Bambanani Mbane. She catches the South African on the ankle and knocks her to the floor resulting in a free kick.
There are still visible areas for England to improve despite the current scoreline.
GOAL! England 2-0 South Africa (Grace Clinton, 23 mins)
20:10 , Mike Jones
23 mins: Fantastic goal!
Chloe Kelly receives the ball on the right wing and slips in Maya Le Tissier on the overlap. The right-back carries the ball to the byline then waits for her teammates to arrive in the box.
When it comes, Le Tissier’s cross drops perfectly onto the head of the arriving Grace Clinton who targets the near corner and beats the outstretched hands of Kaylin Swart!
England 1-0 South Africa
20:06 , Mike Jones
21 mins: Grace Clinton tries something different in possession just outside the box. She spots a run from Jess Park and dinks the ball over the South African backline.
The idea is a decent one but the execution is lacking and the goalkeeper comes out to collect the ball.
England 1-0 South Africa
20:04 , Mike Jones
18 mins: That chances was a warning sign for England. They’ve looked smooth and free-flowing going forward but are still susceptible to the counter-attack and defensive mistakes.
South Africa win a free kick over on the left wing and look to fizz one into the area but fail to beat the first defender.
England 1-0 South Africa
20:02 , Mike Jones
15 mins: Close!
It’s an almost immediate response from South Africa. Esme Morgan is caught on the ball trying to play out from the back. It comes loose and rolls into the path of Thembi Kgatlana who weaves into the box and flicks the ball over to her teammate.
Hildah Magaia arrives in space and should score with only Mary Earps to beat. Instead her first touch is shocking and the ball bobbles away from her.
There’s a mad scramble and Morgan manages to poke the ball out for a corner.
GOAL! England 1-0 South Africa (Leah Williamson, 12 mins)
19:59 , Mike Jones
England win a corner that Beth Mead flicks the ball into the middle of the box. The hosts win the aerial duel and nod it down to the captain Leah Williamson.
She takes a calm and composes side-footed effort and rolls the ball into the bottom corner!
(Bradley Collyer/PA Wire)
England 0-0 South Africa
19:58 , Mike Jones
11 mins: Ouch! A late tackle from Lebohang Ramalepe clips Beth Mead on the back of the ankle and elicits a wince of pain from the forward.
England take the free kick and switch the play but South Africa are composed enough to keep them at bay.
England 0-0 South Africa
19:54 , Mike Jones
9 mins: Alex Greenwood whips the set piece into the box but it’s too high and too straight for any of the Lionesses to get on the end of.
Instead Kaylin Swart confidently comes off her line and plucks the ball out of the air.
England 0-0 South Africa
19:52 , Mike Jones
6 mins: The corner is defended well by South Africa who look to kick start a counter attack before Park recovers the ball. England’s possession has predominantly been inside the visitors’ half which is only increasing the pressure.
Naz is brought down after a slip from Tiisetso Makhubela. Free kick England.
England 0-0 South Africa
19:51 , Mike Jones
3 mins: Great work from England.
They feed the ball across to Chloe Kelly on the right side of the pitch. She shifts the ball onto her left foot and threatens to cut inside before sliding a fine pass into the box.
A run from deep by Jess Park sees the England No. 10 collect the ball and her first time effort is blocked and deflected out for a corner.
Kick off! England 0-0 South Africa
19:47 , Mike Jones
England get the ball rolling and move it over to the left side of the pitch. It’s knocked down the wing and played into Jessica Naz who is flagged offside making her run in between the central defenders.
England vs South Africa
19:42 , Mike Jones
The anthems have been sung, the players are ready, the fans are waiting. Kick off is up next…
England vs South Africa
19:39 , Mike Jones
The players are waiting in the tunnel to come out onto the pitch at the CBS Arena. Leah Williamson makes her 50th appearance for the Lionessses this evening and leads the team.
She didn’t have the best of outings at Wembley against Germany but will be looking to impress. Sarina Wiegman has made plenty of changes and will hope to see an improved performance this evening.
A landmark occasion for Williamson
19:35 , Mike Jones
Should she feature for the Lionessess tonight, Leah Williamson is set to make her 50th appearance for England, six years and 143 days after making her debut against Russia in June 2018.
(Bradley Collyer/PA Wire)
Will Mead get on the scoresheet?
19:30 , Mike Jones
Beth Mead has been involved in 13 goals in 15 home internationals under Sarina Wiegman (eight goals, five assists), either scoring (one) or assisting (two) in each of her last three such games.
Stanway on fire
19:25 , Mike Jones
Georgia Stanway, who netted two of England’s three goals in their 3-4 defeat to Germany on Friday, has scored four goals in her last four games for the Lionesses, as many as in her previous 26 international appearances.
(AP)
Preparations underway
19:24 , Mike Jones
The warm-ups are underway at the CBS Stadium with kick off around 20 minutes from now. Can England win tonight?
(REUTERS)
(REUTERS)
Sarina Wiegman defends England team selection after chaotic defeat to Germany
19:20 , Mike Jones
Sarina Wiegman defended her selection and insisted England’s 4-3 loss to Germany provided critical insight less than a year out from the start of their European title defence.
Friday’s friendly, played in front of a 47,967 crowd at Wembley, was the first time the sides had squared off since England’s comeback to win the the Euro 2022 final at the same venue.
The Lionesses conceded three before the half-hour of a five-goal first half that saw Georgia Stanway claw back two before the break including a penalty.
Sarina Wiegman defends England team selection after chaotic defeat to Germany
An unwanted record
19:15 , Mike Jones
England are winless in their last two games in all competitions (D1 L1), only once under Sarina Wiegman have they failed to win three successive games under, doing so in July 2023.
Lionesses favourites to win
19:10 , Mike Jones
England have won 19 of their last 21 games when hosting an opponent for the very first time (D1 L1), scoring 96 goals and conceding just four times across those matches – the only loss in that period came against New Zealand in June 2019 (0-1).
England record against African sides
19:05 , Mike Jones
England are unbeaten in their last four games against African opposition in all competitions (W3 D1), most recently drawing 0-0 with Nigeria at the 2023 World Cup before winning 4-2 on penalties.
Sarina Wiegman not concerned by England criticism in friendlies
19:00 , Mike Jones
England boss Sarina Wiegman is not concerned by criticism as the Lionesses aim to bounce back from their friendly defeat to Germany with victory over South Africa on Tuesday.
Wiegman’s side were 3-0 down inside half an hour against their Euro 2022 final opponents at Wembley on Friday but rallied before eventually losing 4-3.
Preparations are underway for South Africa’s visit to the Coventry Building Society Arena as Wiegman is given another chance to experiment.
Sarina Wiegman not concerned by England criticism in friendlies
South Africa have lots to prove
18:55 , Mike Jones
South Africa have won just one of their last 16 games against European opposition in all competitions (D3 L12), a 3-2 win over Italy in August 2023.
Will that change against the Lionesses?
England vs South Africa
18:50 , Mike Jones
This will be England’s third ever meeting with South Africa after 6-0 and 1-0 wins under Hope Powell in the 2009 and 2010 Cyprus Cup respectively.
Can they make it three from three in Coventry?
Expectations of England ‘really high’
18:45 , Mike Jones
Sarina Wiegman says the expectations on England are ‘really high’ and that to meet them her team needs to constantly improve.
She said: “We are so visible and expectations are really high. We have to deal with that and we are in in our environment every day, we know what we want to do and how we want to do it.
“We need to analyse what went well, what we need to improve, and that’s what we do every day. There might be criticism from the outside, and that’s alright, but I think sometimes the criticism is too much on the result.
“We need the bigger picture. We work out where we are at overall.”
(Bradley Collyer/PA Wire)
‘Germany are a top side’
18:40 , Mike Jones
Georgia Stanway did the pre-match media duties alongside her coach yesterday and also addressed the result against Germany last Friday.
She said: “Germany are a top side. They were difficult to prepare for because they could throw anything at us. We didn’t know their shape or formation because they have a new coach and after 30 minutes we found our feet.
“On the whole it’s a massive learning opportunity and I feel like we helped them by giving the ball away. That affects our defensive shape so we can’t start the game by taking too many risks.”
(Bradley Collyer/PA Wire)
England team changes
18:37 , Mike Jones
Sarina Wiegman promised changes and she has made eight of them from the team that line-up against Germany. Only Leah Williamson, Georgia Stanway and Beth Mead keep their places from that match.
In comes Mary Earps replacing Hannah Hampton in goal.
Maya Le Tissier, Alex Greenwood and Esme Morgan join the back line ahead of Lucy Bronze, Millie Bright and Jess Carter while in midfield Jess Park and Grace Clinton take the places of Keira Walsh and Ella Toone.
In the forward line, Alessia Russo and Lauren Hemp drop out with Jessica Naz and Chloe Kelly starting.
England line-up to face South Africa
18:31 , Mike Jones
England XI: England XI: Earps; Le Tissier, Williamson, Greenwood, Morgan; Stanway, Clinton, Park; Mead, Naz, Kelly
Sarina Wiegman on England’s performance against Germany
18:25 , Mike Jones
“We gave the ball away too often and that resulted in too many turnovers,” said the Lionesses’ coach Sarina Wiegman when assessing her team’s performance against Germany.
Speaking at a pre-match press conference yesterday she added: “The trigger moments in our press also need to be worked on. We have four friendly games this year, we got lots of information from the first one and we will go out to try and win again tomorrow.
“You will see some changes to the team tomorrow.”
‘South Africa a physical team’ says Wiegman
18:20 , Mike Jones
At her pre-match press conference Sarina Wiegman explained what she is expecting from tonight’s encounter with South Africa.
She said: “We are expecting a very physical team, athletic team. They are unpredictable and have a lot of speed. We wanted to have different styles of play against us and we are later on our journey so can we play our game and stay out of those duels?
“Looking at the bigger picture, we are playing better opponents in the Nations League and in these matches so, while we don’t want to concede goals, it can happen.
“We have to question how we’re keeping the ball, how we’re pressing, and make sure we get our tactics right.”
Complacent England pay the price as Germany embarrass Lionesses at Wembley
18:15 , Mike Jones
Perhaps the only positive for England is there can be no avoiding the reality now. For the Lionesses, there was no repeat of their glorious victory over Germany at Wembley. Instead, a rematch of the Euro 2022 final served up a warning ahead of England’s European Championship defence next summer.
The Lionesses were complacent and error-strewn as a refreshed, reshaped Germany team repeatedly tore through them. Had it not been for Germany’s own calamitous defending, the scoreline could have been even more of an embarrassment.
England conceding four at home should be enough as it is. That this was a friendly does not hide the fact it was a bad night for Sarina Wiegman, her worst as England manager, but there is an argument that a wake-up call like this was needed ahead of Euro 2025. If the manager has been accused of being too loyal to too many of her players who won the Euros and reached the World Cup final, there is an even greater case to finally change her first-choice team. Wiegman insisted she would not “make changes for the sake of it” – but there are too many starting for England who are living off their reputations, at least on current form.
Complacent England pay the price as Germany embarrass Lionesses at Wembley
Wiegman on facing South Africa
18:10 , Mike Jones
“I think this is a great opportunity to play South Africa, it’ll be another learning moment for us, and how we can approach that,” Sarina Wiegman said.
“You will see different faces tomorrow. You will see changes, that’s what we said, we want to try out things, we want the players to see connections and so many games coming after the camp.”
(Action Images via Reuters)
Possible England XI
18:05 , Mike Jones
Earps; Le Tissier, Wubben-Moy, Greenwood, Carter; Stanway, Clinton, Park; Beever-Jones, Russo, Hemp
(The FA via Getty Images)
What is the team news?
18:00 , Mike Jones
Sarina Wiegman has confirmed that she will see “different faces” in her England team. Mary Earps could return in goal and Maya Le Tissier, Lotte Wubben-Moy and Alex Greenwood are candidates to come into the defence in place of captain Leah Williamson, who had a difficult night against Germany.
Georgia Stanway appeared alongside Sarina Wiegman in her pre-match press conference so could start in midfield but either Grace Clinton and Jess Park could start alongside her, while Fran Kirby is available after missing the Germany match with an injury.
Aggie Beever-Jones and Jess Naz could feature in attack should Wiegman make changes to her forwards, but Lauren James is not available after missing out on the squad due to injury.
How can I watch it?
17:55 , Mike Jones
The matchc will be shown on ITV 4, with coverage underway from 7pm.
If you want to stream major sporting events while you are travelling or watching from abroad you’ll need a VPN. Get the best VPN deals in the UK. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.
When is England vs South Africa?
17:50 , Mike Jones
The match will kick off at 7:45pm BST on Tuesday 29 October at the CBS Arena in Coventry.
England vs South Africa
17:45 , Mike Jones
England host South Africa in an international friendly as the Lionesses look to bounce back from a humbling defeat to Germany.
Sarina Wiegman’s side were beaten 4-3 at Wembley in a shock result, but it could have been worse after Germany scored three times inside the half hour.
It was a wake-up call for England ahead of their European Championship defence next summer, and Wiegman has confirmed she will make changes to her team tonight.
South Africa will be a different test and this is the first time the teams have met since 2010. The Banyana-Banyana reached the last-16 of the World Cup last year.
Good evening!
16:28 , Mike Jones
Welcome to The Independent’s coverage of tonight’s clash between England and South Africa.
Though this game is only an international friendly the Lionesses will want to impress and get back to winning ways after slipping to a 4-3 defeat against Germany last Friday.
Sarina Wiegman’s side are preparing for their European Championship defence and the manager has primised changes in personnel for tonight’s outing.
The match is being played at the CBS Arena in Coventry and we’ll bring you all the team news, line-ups and updates throughout the night. Stick with us as we build up to kick off at 7.45pm.
