Banyana Banyana’s two-nil advantage going into the second leg of the Women Africa Cup of Nations qualifier has given them the edge over their opponents Algeria but there’s no room for error when they wrap up their qualifying campaign on Wednesday. Despite the victory for Desiree Ellis and her troops last Friday, the Algerian team proved to be no pushovers in the first leg. And the defeat in South Africa will be enough reason for the North Africans to leave everything on the field in their own backyard.
The return leg against Algeria could prove to be one of the most important fixtures for Banyana Banyana in 2022. A positive result will see them qualify for the AFCON tournament in Morocco, which will also serve as a FIFA World Cup qualifier. The healthy lead Banyana Banyana has going into the second leg in Algiers is no reason to take anything for granted. Their hurdle is a team that fought till the end in the first leg.
“I mean really it’s a tough game we are going to play but we are all pretty excited only because we know what the weight of this game holds, I think it’s going to be a tough game but I think we are ready for it,” says Kaylin Swart, Banyana Banyana goalkeeper.
Algeria is no powerhouse on the continent but they have everything to play for. It’s also a team that has its sights set on qualifying for the Nations Cup and also on making it past the group stages for the first time.
Banyana Banyana will value the experience they have in the team which is important for the upcoming fixture.
“We all know that experience is a crucial part of the team and we have a few youngsters who are stepping up and showing that they want to be here and that they are capable of being here, we want to have a strong team between youth and experience I think the coach knows what she wants and I think the girls are really one foot ahead of where we used to be,” Swart added.
Banyana Banyana’s preparations continued almost immediately upon arrival in the capital Algiers. Ellis will be pleased that the result from last week has lifted the energy in the team after the defeat to Zambia in a friendly international earlier.
“We still have a good chance of qualifying I know we have two goals ahead of them which means they have to score a lot more goals for them to qualify this means they will bring their full force they will be more offensive than defensive,” says Koketso Tlailane, Banyana Banyana player.
It’s all systems go for Banyana. They will have to apply all their experience to ensure they complete a successful campaign. Coach Ellis will have just two training sessions with the squad ahead of the crucial encounter.
