Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis calls for her troops to give their absolute best in a mission to outmuscle Nigeria in a battle for a spot in the Olympic Games in Paris.
Banyana and Nigeria are set to slug it out for a space at this year’s tournament over a two-legged tie, with the overall winner guaranteed a ticket to France’s capital.
The first leg takes place in the West African country with the Super Falcons hosting South Africa at the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abuja on Friday at 17:00 (SA time).
Ellis and her team have been in Nigeria since Sunday to prepare for the first leg.
READ: Banyana Banyana upbeat ahead of Olympic Games showdown against continental foes Nigeria
“We’ve put in a lot of work back home, but we also put in some work here. The players have come in and put all of it together,” Ellis said.
“I’m very excited about the training, the commitment and the effort. Also, a big thank you to the technical team for assisting with all of this.”
Having missed the previous edition of the Olympic Games, Ellis understands that failure to qualify this year will be a step backwards for the reigning Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) champions.
That will see her team missing out on a crucial passage of their growth and precious international experience.
“We are two games away and it is going to be the toughest games because (us) having missed out in 2020 and them also having missed out since their last participation in 2008,” Ellis said.
“You’ve got to give Nigeria respect. They’ve won the Wafcon so many times, so they are a very good side.
“I still count them as one of the best teams around and they did well at the World Cups. You can’t take anything for granted and we have to be at our absolute best to get the result out of this game.”
While Banyana are reigning African queens, Nigeria remains the top-ranked side and the most successful side in women’s football on the continent.
The second leg of the Olympic qualifier will take place at Loftus Stadium in Pretoria on Tuesday.
The other nations fighting for the other spot reserved for Africa at the Olympics are Morocco and Zambia.
The first leg takes place in Zambia on Friday at 19:00 (SA time) while the second leg will be in Morocco on Tuesday.
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— Banyana_Banyana (@Banyana_Banyana) April 1, 2024
First official training session in Abuja! 🇳🇬 pic.twitter.com/QcwtxNPf0X
