Banyana Banyana head coach, Desiree Ellis believes there is still plenty to play for in their 2024 Olympic Games qualifier against the Super Falcons of Nigeria.
The reigning African champions lost 1-0 to Nigeria in the first leg at the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abuja on Friday night.
Asisat Oshoala converted from the spot two minutes before the break after Chiwendu Ihezuo was fouled inside the box by Noko Matlou.
Ellis’ side were outplayed by the Super Falcons in the keenly contested encounter.
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The gaffer is however optimistic her team will turn things around in the second leg.
“Look, we said it was going to be a tight game but we are hopeful of overturning this result in the second leg,” Ellis was quoted by Safa.net.
“We are still in the game. We created a couple of chances, a penalty decided the match but the game is not over. I thought in the second half we raised our game a lot and created good chances and could have equalized.
“Maybe we could also have gotten a penalty at the end when Jermaine was fouled but I’m very proud of the team and we will take it back to Pretoria.”
By Adeboye Amosu
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COMMENTS
This woman has started again. This Bayana Banyana I saw is not a team that can stop our Queens.
Nigeria didn’t start their training earlier they would have won with a wider margin.
Hopefully Nigeria will score more goals away before SA will want to come out and attack.
I’m proud of you guys.
Hahahaha we could have gotten a penalty at the end.this blood suckers are really mad.
Hahaha, dont mind her. If football were to be a game of “what-ifs” we could have been 4 goals up before the end.
Good morning @Dr.drey happy week-end bro
Good day Broh. Happy weekend to you too.
Ellis is doing a psychological posturing for her team. This present Falcon team is doing well, they don’t fall like that. By the way, where is Plumptre? Please help tell Ellis, “If all Men where one Man, what a great Man would he be”….? Ifs don’t win anything, it is the action and positive impact that wins. Cheers Super Falcon.
U are so right @Drey.
Nothing good comes of noise! Ellis, wait for it.
She has overlooked a key statistics.The SF have not lost any away match as far as I can remember either in world cup qualifiers, Olympics or World cup qualifiers.What makes her think that she can break that from what I saw of her team yesterday?
I was almost thinking like that too until I remembered we lost 0-1 to Ghana in Accra.
But we can as well take consolation and confidence from the fact that Waldrum’s Falcons hardly lose to host nations…..CIV, Australia, Morroco (even with 9 men) and I think we’ve also played a draw with Canada(and USA if im not mistaken) too previously.
Honestly, my biggest fear was how we will perform in this first leg with just 2 training sessions in the “away” conditions the NFF has put the team on home soil.
We are not losing to the Bayanas in Pretoria, unless some shady underhand deals happen behind the scenes.
And will SA be able to do what the likes of Canada, England or Australia has not be able to do in recent times, ie defeat these Falcons by 2 unreplied….? I seriously doubt it.
CS should do better by vetting their contents before posting. Rasheedat Ajibade converted from the spot-kick and not Asisat Oshola. Anyways, am rooting for my darling Super Falcons to come good in the reverse fixture possibly beating SA in their backyard and clinching the coveted ticket to France.
Abuja’s pitch was a big minus for a free-flowing football. I know we will play better in Pretoria. Our girls are getting better by the day. They were in all the departments of the game except the misses.
Coach Ellis has never admitted that any team is better than her team, but on Tuesday she will find out.