‘We won’t take them lightly’

Sibongiseni Gumbi

Botswana may be considered Banyana Banyana’s punching bag, but coach Vera Pauw (above) has warned against underestimating their opponents in this afternoon’s Caf African Women’s Championship (AWC) qualifier.

Banyana will face Botswana in the first leg of their AWC qualifier in Lobatse at 4pm.

Speaking about her team’s preparations this week, Pauw said the friendlies against Cameroon a few weeks ago, which included a 2-0 win and a 2-2 draw, had played a vital role in their build-up.

“We have just returned from Cameroon where we did very well and are now looking forward to these games,” Pauw said.

“It has helped us with preparations for this important encounter because we really want to qualify for a big competition such as the AWC and make the nation proud.”

Perhaps the biggest challenge for Pauw and her team is putting the Rio Olympic Games, for which they have qualified, on the back burner as they prepare for the Botswana fixture.

“We are not even thinking about the Olympics at this stage, as the women’s championship is just as important for the overall plan of South African women’s football,” she said.

The SA women’s team have always had the upper hand against their neighbours, recording their biggest win – a 14-0 thrashing – against them in Harare in April 2002.

Pauw, however, believed Botswana had improved immensely in recent years and should not be taken lightly.

“We have played Botswana before and have often triumphed over them but this is a completely different match,” she said.

“Botswana have grown in leaps and bounds so we cannot underestimate them. We need to be at our level best to ensure we get a good result.

“It is important that we return home with a scoreline that will not put us under pressure going into the second leg.”

The return leg will be played at Makhulong Stadium in Tembisa on Tuesday night.

Meanwhile, Banyana have been added to Pot 4 for the Olympic draw, to be held in Maracana, Brazil next week.

The South Africans will be grouped with one of three top-seeded sides – world champions the United States, Germany or Brazil – in their pool for the Rio Games in August.