Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis emphasised that the team must focus on their goal of defending their Women’s CAF Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) title and not waste time worrying about the problems facing the South African Football Association (Safa).
Ellis made these comments prior to Banyana’s first game against Ghana, a Group C match that is scheduled to begin at 6pm at the Honneur Stadium in Oujda city, Morocco, today.
“As a team, we have resolved to leave the pressing issues to the Safa executives to address,” Ellis said.
“Our focus is solely on the pitch, which is why our attention is firmly fixed on securing victories.
“We arrived in Morocco well in advance to adjust and prepare, and we are eager to defend our title after a long, three-year wait for this moment.”
Echoing Ellis’ sentiments, co-captain Refiloe Jane remarked: “As the opening match, our game against Ghana is undoubtedly going to present formidable challenges. They are an entirely different team, but we are well-prepared to face them.”
Ghana has not competed in this continental women’s tournament in seven years; their most recent appearance was in 2018.
We are viewed as underdogs
Cynthia Konian Findip, their goalie, stated that they are in Morocco to compete fiercely.
“For most of us, this is our inaugural appearance in this tournament, and we aim to make our presence felt with a strong performance,” said Findip.
Ghana’s Swedish coach, Kim Lars Björkegren, expressed his aspirations for a successful tournament.
“I have coached in various countries, and growing up, I used to watch the men’s Afcon. I am thrilled to be here and eagerly anticipate our first match against South Africa,” said Björkegren.
“As a coach, I need to instill confidence in my players during challenging situations, and I believe they trust me.
Naturally, we acknowledge that we might be viewed as underdogs; we are not among the frontrunners that many are discussing, but I am confident that our squad has the quality to defeat any team in this tournament.”
Mali and Tanzania are set to contest the other Group C match at the Berkane Stadium in Berkane, which is also scheduled for Monday at 9pm (SA time).
