There will be no love
lost when South Africa’s national women’s soccer team Banyana Banyana face the
Black Queens of Ghana in a crucial encounter in Accra later today as they look
to put themselves back in contention for a place at next year’s Beijing
Olympics.
Banyana Banyana lost the
first leg 1-nil at home in August in controversial circumstances when the
referee disallowed a goal by SA with less than 20 minutes to go.
Ghana
capitalised on South Africa’s disappointment shortly afterwards by scoring the
only goal of the match to secure a vital away win.
Banyana Banyana have to
beat Ghana today and Nigeria in February in order to qualify for the Olympics
and still hope that Nigeria do them a favour by beating Ghana next time around.
But all those
permutations will go out of the window when SA run out to face Ghana in Accra.
Coach Augustine Makalakalane told the South African Press Association that the
team has prepared hard for victory.
“Ghana managed to beat us
at home, so what should stop us from doing the same? We should have beaten
Ghana in our previous encounter but the ball would not hit the back of the
net,” said Makalakalane.
The team will be boosted
by the return of veteran defender Janine van Wyk and overseas-based star,
Portia Modise, who plays for Fortuna Hjorring in Denmark.
The top
placed team at the end of the qualifiers automatically qualifiers for the
Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, while the runners-up engage Brazil in play off for
the other slot.
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