Madiba Blessing for Banyana

The South African National Women’s Soccer Squad, Banyana Banyana leave for Nigeria from the OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg at 3:30pm this afternoon, and their flight will be all the more significant for having just met former South African President, Nelson Mandela.

The freedom struggle icon we affectionately call Madiba is also South Africa’s most famous sports fanatic, and today he honours the proud women aiming to represent his country at the 2007 Women’s World Cup in China.

But before thoughts of China looms a bitter biennial continental tournament, the Fifth African Championship for Women’s Football which starts in Warri, Nigeria on Saturday 28 October, and ends in battle for Africa’s toughest competitors on 11 November.

In Banyana Banyana’s favour is their 8 wins without a loss in their past 10 matches since February 2004, with a healthy 51-8 goal difference against opposition including Senegal, Mozambique, Namibia, Angola and Zambia. Some believe SA has a lucky draw, with debut contenders Algeria and Equatorial Guinea expected to be punching above their weight.

But on the other hand, these two sides are unknown factors, with little information on their team make-up, ability and capacity, or game plans. They will have little to lose, and an upset against one of them will require a South African win over Nigeria to advance to the semi-finals.

The Nigerian Super Falcons are known for their speed, agility and very physical game, and a third group stage match against hosts Nigeria, who have dominated the tournament since inception, is expected to be the most difficult challenge.

“These are the big guns, they’ve been champions of Africa on numerous occasions, but we’ve closed the gap,” FIFA’s coaching supremo Fran Hilton-Smith told gsport. “They used to beat South Africa (by margin of) 7-1 (on average), but in their last game it was a slim 1-0 loss, and the girls had been sick with food poison.”

“They are very big and strong, very physical, and 12 of their available players are based in Europe, China and America,” Hilton-Smith continued. “But our job is to keep focus on our own game. We need to score goals, we are not out to try to break down their game.”

Possession of the ball will be key for the two teams that make it through to contest the final, but the rewards are big. These two will qualify for FIFA’s 2007 World Cup, and that defining achievement is the level which Hilton-Smith expects Banyana Banyana to reach.

“They’ve put in some intensive work,” a satisfied Hilton-Smith told gsport shortly before the team’s departure yesterday.

“Absolutely, I am satisfied with our preparations, the girls have been gymming hard now for 2 months, and this is definitely the team’s best tournament preparation to date.

“As part of our build-up, we’ve played regularly against top local boy’s team, the Super Falcons. Our team shows progress made in results against them in a few matches.

“In the final game on Saturday, Banyana Banyana were looking physically strong, and that strength leads to mental strength, critical in a winning team. In their first match, the Super Falcons beat the girls 1-0,” said Hilton-Smith. “The next game ended in a 1-0 win for Banyana, and they finished it on Saturday with a 3-0 win.

“The team’s aim to make it to the CAF final is very realistic, especially at the moment. They feel very good, due to two month’s committed strength training, particularly with Steven Ball at Pretoria’s High Performance Centre, and naturally (coach) Augustine’s input on physical side.

“We know the weather is going to be very hot, up to 40-45 degrees and with the rain season coming to an end, the possibility of frequent rain. As a result the team has been training in the heat of day, trying to adapt to the conditions we expect.

“What’s more, the spirit in the Banyana Banyana camp is very high, and the team has just been given a big boost, having been invited to meet Madiba. This is a dream come true for all of us, to have the honour of a great send-off with Madiba-Magic in Houghton,” laughed Hilton-Smith.