Banyana Banyana goalkeeper Kaylin Swart says the team is living their dream after progressing to the knockout stages in their second appearance at a FIFA Women’s World Cup tournament.
South Africa has made history securing their first-ever FIFA Women’s World Cup round of 16 berth. Now, they are set to face the Netherlands in a highly anticipated match on Sunday, 06 August 2023, with both teams vying for a spot in the quarterfinals.
Despite a shaky start to their campaign, South Africa has gained newfound confidence as they enter the knockout stages. Their victory over more favoured rivals has boosted their spirits and showcased their resilience. As they prepare to face the Netherlands, South Africa’s national team is determined to carry this momentum forward, aiming to continue making history on the world stage.
“It still hasn’t sunk in yet. It’s an incredible feeling. I’m even stumbling on my words because I can’t believe it and I think it is going to take a little bit of time for me to realise what we actually did and for this generation to make history. I mean, in the 28 years of my life I would have never thought that this would happen but we are living our dream right now and the fact that we made history is an incredible feeling and I hope that the nation really sees that we are capable of achieving these things,” Swart explained.
The reigning champions of the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations had a mixed start to their campaign, narrowly losing their opening match to Sweden 2-1, and later securing a 2-2 draw against Argentina. However, they bounced back with a historic victory over Italy, eliminating them from the competition.
Banyana Banyana’s historic qualification for the round of 16 sets the stage for an even greater challenge as they face the 9th ranked Netherlands, winners of Group E. South Africa will take on the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup semi-finalists, who are determined to secure victory in this year’s competition.
Netherlands, considered tournament favorites, commenced their campaign with a 1-0 victory against Portugal and held the reigning champions to a 1-1 draw. They displayed their dominance with a resounding 7-0 win over Vietnam, securing a spot in the round of 16 with confidence and momentum on their side.
“We still want to win the game so obviously we are going to go again there with the same spirit and fight as a team and see with the results” said the FIFA Women’s World Cup goal scorer Hildah Magaia.
Banyana Banyana landed in Sydney, Australia on Thursday afternoon ahead of their FIFA Women’s World Cup Last 16 encounter against the Netherlands at the Allianz stadium (Kickoff 04:00am CAT).
Photo 1 Caption: Banyana Banyana goalkeeper Kaylin Swart pictured celebrating at the FIFA Women’s World Cup. Photo: Kaylin Swart (Instagram)
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