Having already qualified for the knockout quarterfinal stage at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Cup (Wafcon) finals tournament in Morocco, Banyana Banyana take on southern African neighbours Botswana tonight at 10pm in their last Group C match many view as a dead rubber.
Nigeria’s Super Falcons and Botswana are both tied on three points but the nine-time African champions are placed second by virtue of a better goal difference and need to win against Burundi today to ensure qualification for the quarterfinals.
Here’s what Banyana coach Desiree Ellis and defender and skipper Janine van Wyk said before the grudge match.
How are Banyana preparing for this last group match?
Ellis: I think we haven’t prepared very differently because there’s very little time in between the matches. As I said previously, there’s two days, so it’s just about making sure that we contain everything, but we know a lot about Botswana as much as they know a lot about us. We’ve played each other on numerous occasions… so we know the threat they pose but we’ve also since gone on and played them on numerous occasions and got positive results.
And Janine, how are the preparations going:
Van Wyk: I think the morale in the camp is very high and everyone is excited to be here, especially after the two convincing wins [2-1 over Nigeria and 3-1 over Burundi] but we are really looking forward to the next upcoming match against Botswana, our neighbouring country. The spirits are really high.
Coach, is the short turnaround between the games a concern?
Ellis: We want to make sure that we keep the squad really fresh, that is the most important thing. Some players have played two 90 minutes in a row, and considering the weather conditions at the moment it’s not something that we are used to.
Janine, what important role do you play in the team?
Janine: I think any player in the squad wants to play, especially in a tournament like this but I’ve played many of these tournaments and I also know the capabilities of the players we currently have. The player rotations are happening under my watch. I bring the team on and off the field… At the end of the day it’s about us and the team winning. I always give my best and if I’m not on the field, I’ll still give my best, supporting the team.
Coach, what role does Janine play in the team?
Ellis: Exactly what Janine said, she adds value, she adds a lot of quality, she’s a leader. We want to make sure that we get the best out of all our players.
Janine, how does this particular Banyana side compare to the previous squads?
Janine: Every team I have played for in this kind of tournament brought something different and I think looking at this team currently, it is probably the best team that has been selected for this tournament. Only looking at the facts, a lot of players are playing abroad and have contracts, bringing that kind of experience back into the team and the great mixture of players that we have. I think it’s a great balance and you can see in terms of the professionalism.
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