Banyana Banyana have settled into their Bloemfontein camp as they gear up for a crucial two-legged battle against Madagascar in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games qualifiers.
The 2022 African champions arrived in the City of Roses on Monday and have already completed two training sessions as they fine-tune their preparations for Friday’s first-leg encounter.
The match will be played at the Free State Stadium, with kick-off scheduled for 15h00.
Madagascar will be the designated home side for the first leg but, because they do not have a suitable venue, the match will be staged in Bloemfontein. The visitors are expected to arrive in the province on Wednesday.
There will be no spectators allowed at Friday’s match, following a request from the visiting team.
Banyana are scheduled to have two more training sessions before the opening clash as coach Dr Desiree Ellis looks to get her charges off to a winning start.
South Africa are desperate to return to the Olympic stage after missing out on the last two editions. Their last appearance came at the 2016 Rio Olympics in Brazil.
Ellis knows qualification is important, particularly for a new generation of players who need exposure at the highest level.
«“We haven’t qualified for the last two Olympic Games. We got knocked out in the first round in 2019, we reached the final round against Nigeria and lost narrowly. It’s really important that we start getting to the Olympics,” said Ellis.»
“We qualified back-to-back in the past and then you don’t qualify for two. It’s important for us to qualify for these global events because the newer and younger players that come in will also gain a lot of experience through that.
“So, it’s really important that we get off to a good start on Friday to make sure that we get to the next round.”
Double duty for Banyana
The Madagascar assignment also provides Ellis with an opportunity to prepare her squad for another major challenge on the horizon.
Banyana remain in contention for qualification for the FIFA Women’s World Cup and are due to feature in the World Cup play-offs next month.
Ellis says the Olympic qualifiers will therefore serve a dual purpose as she prepares her team for the demanding fixtures ahead.
“It’s not just about this game, it’s also about the game in November. So we’re using it two-fold because you have very little time to prepare and we know that it is a very big tournament as well that we need to prepare for,” she said.
“We’ll be preparing for Madagascar but also looking at how we can get the team to be a better version of themselves come November.”
Several of Banyana’s overseas-based stars have already joined the camp.
Among those who have reported for duty are Thembi Kgatlana (Mexico), Linda Motlhalo (Scotland), Bongeka Gamede (Denmark) and Hildah Magaia (Saudi Arabia).
Amogelang Motau, who plays in Mexico, was expected to arrive on Wednesday afternoon.
However, Ellis will have to do without experienced defender Bambanani Mbane, who has returned home to continue with her rehabilitation from injury.
The second leg is scheduled for Tuesday, 13 October, also at the Free State Stadium.
Tickets for the second-leg clash are available through Ticketpro, with adults paying R50 and children under 12 paying R20.
With a place in the next round at stake, Banyana will be hoping to put themselves firmly in the driving seat when they face Madagascar on Friday.
