BANYANA Banyana's fierce rivals Nigeria are expected to depart for Ghana on Wednesday for their Women's Africa Cup of Nations tournament to be held in the West African country from Saturday to 1 December.
Desiree Ellis' side, the reigning South African Team of the Year, will open their tournament account against the Super Falcons of Nigeria who would be hoping to defend the title they won last year.
But Ellis has made it clear that they will not anybody to walk all over them, and they will fight to win Group B where they are circled with Chipolopolo Queens of Zambia and Equatorial Guinea.
The Equatorial Guinea team managed to dribble their way back to the tournament following a CAF Appeal panel ruling.
The central Africans were initially banned from taking part in the tournament following a protest by Kenya who alleged that they used an ineligible player in Annette Jacky Messomo following their 3-2 win over the Kenyans.
But the Caf appeals board overruled the protest reinstating them back to the tournament.
Banyana, Nigeria and the Guineans will be based in the Cape Coast where they will be playing their matches.
The official Nigeria FA website reports that the Falcons spent the last six days at a football facility, Sol Beni Sports Centre (owned by ASEC Mimosas Football Club) in Abidjan, following a three week preparatory program at the Jubilee Chalets and Resort in Epe, Lagos State.
"Only Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea have been successful at the 20-year old continental fiesta, with the latter emerging winners on the only two previous occasions that Nigeria did not triumph," the NFF reports.
While the Guineans have won on the only two occasions they hosted the tournament (2008 and 2012), the Super Falcons have established Africa as their footstool, winning at home in 1998, 2002 and 2006, winning in South Africa in 2000, 2004 and 2010, winning in Namibia in 2014 and winning in Cameroon in 2016.
In the other group are hosts Ghana, Algeria, Mali and Cameroon who will battle it out in Group A in Accra.
Among South African players who will do duty for South Africa include goalkeeper Kaylin Swart, Lebohang Ramalepe, captain Janine van Wyk, Leandra Smeda, Thembi Kgatlana, Jermain Seoposenwe.
