As Banyana Banyana gets ready to play Nigeria’s Super Falcons in a pivotal Olympic qualifying match, head coach Desiree Ellis hopes to take advantage of both home advantage and altitude.
The return leg is slated to take place at Loftus Stadium in South Africa four days after the first leg, which is set to take place on April 5 at Nigeria’s Moshood Abiola National Stadium.In an interview with SABC Sport, the former captain of Banyana Banyana emphasized the strategic value of Loftus Stadium’s high altitude while also mentioning a recent turning point for the team—the Aisha Buhari Cup in 2023.
The 61-year-old stressed the ‘winner takes all’ aspect of the doubleheader while also acknowledging the importance of the next games against the Super Falcons.”We must make sure to utilize the altitude, as we looked at it,” Desiree Ellis stated.
“Hopefully, it can help us, especially within the first 15 to 20 minutes into the game.” “The Aisha Buhari Cup was, in my opinion, our biggest turning point. Some of our important players were unable to play in that match, but the way we played showed that we had faith in each other and that we are a fearless team.
“Now that Nigeria and the rest of us missed the 2020 Olympics, we all know how important this game is, but who wants it more now?”Given that South Africa, the current African champions, missed the previous edition in Tokyo, both teams are eager to make it to the Olympics.
The Super Falcons, on the other hand, have missed 16 Games; their most recent appearance was in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.The victor of the match will be placed in the same group in Paris as world champions Brazil, Japan, and Spain.
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