Banyanaowe it to the nation to qualify for the Olympics

Banyana Banyana owe it to every South African to beat Nigeria and qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics. And this will be the cherry on top after we won the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in 2022 and also reached the Last 16 of the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand last year. Banyana Banyana became the first South African team to reach the knockout stage of a World Cup. Two years earlier they had failed to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after getting knocked out by Botswana. And while qualifying for the Olympic Games for the first time since 2016 is good enough to encourage the team ahead of Friday’s first leg, beating Nigeria is also important for several reasons.

In 1993, just one year after South African football was readmitted to international football, 1966 World Cup winner Terry Paine was given the responsibility of being the first Banyana Banyana coach. And his first match in charge was a relatively easy 14-0 win against Swaziland. And after knocking out Zambia and Angola at the 1995 African Women’s Championship quarterfinal and semifinals, Banyana Banyana met Nigeria in the final where they suffered a humiliating 11-2 defeat on aggregate. Super Falcons beat Banyana Banyana 4-1 in the first leg in Nigeria before winning the return leg 7-1 at Rand Stadium. The win also handed the Nigerian side a ticket to the 1995 FIFA Women’s World Cup held in Sweden. Five years later, the two teams met again at the final of the 2000 African Women’s Championship played at Vosloorus Stadium. But the match will forever be remembered for the ugly scenes off the field than the beautiful football on it.

With Nigeria leading 2-0 in the second half, a riot broke out in the stands after supporters started throwing objects and bottles at match officials and five people were reportedly injured. The match was eventually called off and Nigeria were crowned African champions on South African soil. And since then, the rivalry between the two sides has gone from strength to strength with the Super Falcons also beating Banyana Banyana to qualify for the 2004 Olympic qualifiers. But while there was a time when Nigeria had the upper hand and dominated the fixture, over the years Banyana Banyana have grown in leaps and bounds. Gone are the days when Nigeria knew before kick off that they were going to beat Banyana Banyana. Banyana Banyana are certainly not the same team they were over 20 years ago.

After years of trying out different coaches for the team, one of the best decisions made by SAFA was to appoint Desiree Ellis as the head coach of the team. Ellis understands South African women’s football and having captained the team for eight years between 1994 and 2002, she understands what needs to be done to take the team to the next level after taking over from Vera Pauw in 2016. Ellis has managed to build a formidable side made up of strong local-based players and key overseas -based players. She helped us qualify for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup and her Banyana Banyana side showed flashes of brilliance when they took the lead in the first match of the tournament against Spain before conceding three goals in the last 20 minutes. Losing that match was a harsh lesson. But three years later, Banyana Banyana beat Nigeria on their way to winning the 2022 Women’s Afcon in Morocco. The success of the Wafcon tournament and the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, where the team reached the Last 16 of the tournament, was the continuation of the hard work and progress achieved over the years.

Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies team winning the CAF Women’s Champions League on two occasions also shows just how much South African women’s football has grown over the years. Thembi Kgatlana’s R5.1 million transfer from Racing Louisville FC in the National Women’s Soccer League in the United States to Tigres UANL in Mexico, is more proof that South Africa is blessed with some of the best players in world football. And Kgatlana is not the only Banyana Banyana player playing in Mexico, her teammate Jermaine Seopesenwe is one of the best players in the Mexican League.

Despite Andile Dlamini’s absence through injury this week, Banyana Banyana will have enough ammunition to show why they are the best team on the continent. Of course, playing against Nigeria, especially in their backyard, will not be easy and Ellis and the rest of the Banyana Banyana players are well aware of that.

The good news for Ellis is that Refiloe Jane, Bambanani Mbane and Sibulele Holweni have all recovered from long lay-off injuries and will be ready to play this weekend.

And this will be enough to be beat Nigeria and qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

All the best to Desiree and the team. South Africaiswithyou!