Banyana Banyana Captain Janine van Wyk says they will be taking it one game at a time in this year’s Africa Women’s Cup of Nations currently underway in Morocco.
South Africa will take on the bottom of the group Burundi in their second match of the tournament on Thursday night. Banyana are hoping to go a step further than where they ended in the last tournament in 2018.
They beat Nigeria in their opening match of the tournament before losing to the Super Falcons in the final in a penalty shootout.
Banyana Banyana have never won the trophy despite reaching three finals in the past.
Captain Janine van Wyk says, “I think it’s important that we celebrate a really good, convincing victory, especially against one of the powerhouses in African football. But it’s important that we know that. It’s not game over and I think most of the experienced players that have been here played in the 2018 Afcon tournament as well and it was a similar situation. There are a couple of new players that have come in. But I think we have put everyone on the same page just reminded them of our upcoming matches, especially the next one which is very important for us to continue with the consistency of good performance.”
‘Take one game at a time’
Banyana Banyana Forward Thembi Kgatlana says, “To be honest, it’s a mindset coming into the tournament personally. It’s treating everyone the same way if I can fully focus for Nigeria why can’t I do the same with the next opponent you know. I don’t have to give respect to one team but to all the teams and that means I always have to be at my a-game no matter who I am playing, without undermining anyone but just enjoying myself. And I think that’s also the goal of the team; we came here to take one game at a time. As we’ve won the first match, so we will try and do the second match with the same mentality and mindset.”
