South Africa’s Banyana Banyana and Nigeria’s Super Falcons are set to face off in a decisive 2024 Olympics playoff.
The match is being billed as a “do or die” encounter by Desiree Ellis, the coach of Banyana Banyana.
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Both teams have successfully navigated their third round qualifiers and are now vying for a place at the summer Olympics in Paris. Ellis, who was named CAF Coach of the Year, has announced plans for an early training camp to bolster their chances against the nine-time African champions.
Reflecting on their recent 1-0 victory over Tanzania, Ellis said, “We were in control, very seldom threatened. We wanted to move the ball around, to move them around and get behind. On a few occasions we made wrong decisions in the final third, but overall we are happy with the result.”
Looking ahead to the crucial match against the Super Falcons, Ellis acknowledged the challenges. “It’s preseason, so some ran out of legs. We will look to come into camp earlier, possibly to do something similar to what we did, but we will sit down with the technical team and plan the way forward. Because it’s a game, it’s do or die. So we have to make sure that we prepare really well and give ourselves every chance by preparing well,” she concluded.
