Desiree Ellis, the head coach of Banyana Banyana, South Africa’s women’s national football team, maintains optimism despite their 1-0 loss in the first leg of the final Olympic qualifying round fixture against Nigeria.
The African champions are gearing up for the second leg, scheduled to take place at the Lotfus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria. With the away goal rule no longer in play, Ellis anticipates a fiercely contested match.
Reflecting on the previous encounter, Ellis expressed confidence in her team’s ability to perform better than they did in Nigeria. She emphasized the importance of capitalizing on scoring opportunities early in the game to gain momentum.
“We have looked at the footage from the first game and know we are better than what we showed in Nigeria,” Ellis stated. “It is a match we have to win, and we have to put everything into it to ensure that we get the goal early to kickstart from there.”
Despite the one-goal deficit, Ellis remains determined to prepare her team for all scenarios, acknowledging the challenges they may face against a resilient Nigerian side.
“We know it won’t be easy, Nigeria got the one-goal advantage, and we have to prepare for every eventuality,” she added.
As Banyana Banyana braces for the crucial second leg, Ellis and her squad are focused on securing a victory that could see them earn a spot at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
