‘THEY can, and they will, qualify for next year’s World Cup.”
So said former Banyana Banyana head coach Joseph “Skheshekheshe” Mkhonza ahead of the team's opening 2018 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations match against Nigeria on Sunday.
Mkhonza is confident that Banyana, under the watchful eye of Desiree Ellis, stand a good chance of qualifying for their first Fifa Women’s World Cup next year.
However, Mkhonza says they will need to tread carefully as their Group B, which also features Equatorial Guinea and Zambia, is not an easy group in this tournament.
The Women’s Afcon will be staged in Ghana from Saturday until 1 December.
“From the first match it will not be a walk in the park for the girls. Our group is tough, we have played against all three these teams in the past. The players will have to double their efforts,” said Mkhonza.
“They are in the tournament now and will need our support more than anything.”
Mkhonza coached Banyana from 2011 until 2014 when he was replaced by Vera Pauw.
He was in charge of Banyana at the 2012 London Olympics where they performed dismally, losing two group stage matches and drawing one to finish at the bottom of the group with a single point.
He said there had been a lot of improvement since then.
“Back then we had no players who were exposed to professional football in European leagues, now we have that.
“We are capable of achieving great things with the players the coach has at her disposal.”
Banyana need to finish in the top three at the continental women’s tournament to book their first ever ticket to the Fifa tournament which will be held in France from 7 June until 7 July. next year
After Banyana’s opening clash with Nigeria at Cape Coast Stadium on Sunday, they tackle Equatorial Guinea at the same venue three days later. Their final group match is against their familiar East African foes Zambia at Accra Sports Stadium on 24 November (8pm SA time).
The top two teams in each group will proceed to the semifinals of the Women’s Afcon tournament.