REPRESENTING your country in a Fifa World Cup has always been the dream of any football player.
And the South Africa national women’s football team, Banyana Banyana, are on a quest to qualify for next year’s world event, which will be hosted by France from 7 June to 7 July.
The girls are currently in Ghana for the 2018 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations (Awcon) which kicked off on Saturday.
The tournament, which is hosted by two Ghanaian cities – Cape Coast and the capital city Accra – will run until 1 December.
Banyana have never qualified for the world tournament and senior players have vowed to make history this year.
Banyana, who carry Mzansi’s hopes, will start their hunt of securing a spot in next year’s World Cup with a blockbuster against Awcon defending champions Nigeria at the Cape Coast Sports Stadium, on Sunday (5.30pm, SA time).
Yesterday, Banyana had their last training at Robert Menash Stadium and coach Desiree Ellis had a clean bill of health as all her soldiers who have been experiencing the hot, humid weather conditions of Ghana since last Friday, were raring to face the Super Falcons.
Banyana, who are in Group B alongside Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea and Zambia, need to secure a top three finish in the tournament to secure a World Cup spot.
It is now or never for veteran players like Noko Matlou (33), Janine van Wyk (31), Nompumelelo Nyandeni (29), Mamello Makhabane (30) and Nothando Vilakazi (30).
This could be their last opportunity to make their dream of playing in a World Cup come true.
Nyandeni says they will be prepared for Nigeria, they will need to set a tone for the tournament when they meet the Super Falcons.
“I don’t see any reasons why we should lose to Nigeria because we have all the quality in our team.
“I believe if we give it our all and eliminate errors in defence, we can match them. We also need to win the opening game to set the tone for
the tournament,” said Nyandeni.
She added: “There’s immense pressure and we are working hard to achieve the
World Cup goal.
“I have played in most leagues: locally, in the Afcon, overseas and the Champions League. The World Cup is the only one missing.”
Matlou will be playing her sixth Awcon admitted that there’s pressure but they will handle it and take each game as it comes.
Vilakazi also echoed the same sentiments as Nyandeni.
Veteran Noko Matlou will be playing her sixth Awcon this year.