Banyana one match away from history
World Cup spot beckons if SA win Nations Cup semifinal against Mali
Banyana Banyana’s Africa Women’s Cup of Nations semifinal against Mali tomorrow is their final‚ South Africa coach Desiree Ellis said after her team progressed past the group stage with a 1-1 draw against Zambia on Saturday night.
Ellis was quite critical of her charges’ performance against Zambia at the Accra Sports Ground in the Ghanaian capital‚ saying it was a “wake-up call” for her team.
The result saw South Africa avoid Cameroon in the semifinals by finishing top of Group B on seven points. Nigeria‚ 6-0 winners against Equatorial Guinea in Cape Coast‚ took second spot.
A win against Group A runners-up Mali in Cape Coast will not just put Banyana into Saturday’s final‚ but also see them reach what they have said is their primary goal of qualifying for the 2019 World Cup.
Superstar Thembi Kgatlana blazed SA ahead with a halfvolley driven into the top right corner in the eighth minute for her fourth goal of the tournament. Rachael Kundananji equalised two minutes later.
“It’s not the first time after scoring that we gave away immediate opportunities after that. Thembi also could have sealed it once again‚” Ellis said afterwards.
“But it’s good that it happened now. We are still in the competition. It’s a wake-up call. It cannot happen again. We have to be on top of our game. And that is one of the things that you will learn in this tournament.” Banyana’s form has put them firmly in contention to finally improve on being finalists in the Nations Cup three times‚ and to win it for the first time.
Win the semi and you’re in the World Cup
Ellis said reaching their first World Cup‚ France 2019‚ remains the first ambition. “It’s one game to go to quali- fy for the World Cup. You win the semifinal and you’re in the World Cup.
“And that’s been our motivation and our ultimate goal. “But we have shown that we can also grind it out and I think that’s important.”