Banyana Banyana forward Thembi Kgatlana has said the team will go all out for a win against Nigeria next week Tuesday.
The African champions lost 1-0 to the Super Falcons in the first leg of their 2024 Olympic Games qualifier on Friday.
Rasheedat Ajibade netted the winning goal from the penalty spot two minutes before the break.
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Kgatlana however claimed there is still more to play for in the second leg.
“The end result will be on Tuesday,” Kgatlana told reporters after the game.
“We will be at home, familiar with the conditions, that will be advantage.”
The overall winners will feature in the women’s football event in Paris 2024.
9 Comments
Using Abuja stadium was a foolish decision from few that have no interest of Nigeria football at heart.
We are all goito see the way SA will fill stadium as if they are playing world cup
Super Falcons will play better at the return leg as those that landed in camp late would have blended with the team and play on good football field that they are used to in their various clubs.
SF must land in SA not later than Sunday and must play with full determination and concentration throughout the duration of the next match.
God bless Super Falcons of Nigeria.
Sometime I wonder is there not intelligent and brilliant people in NFF administration. Their misguided approach has caused our Nigeria football untold pains and shame. I have discovered that our problem is not talents but ineptitude and bad administration of our football stake holders.
Kindly look at the media coverage of such international match of such magnitude? It is a real shame on NFFand whosoever are in charge!
Why taking such match to Abuja stadium and not Uyo stadium where we can guarantee more crowds? The super Falcon were, more or less,playing like as if they in away ground. Please can somebody help us to wake this our NFF to wake up from their slumber before they put our football reputation in shambles
The South Africans remain defiant despite going down to a slim but well deserved 1:0 loss to Nigeria in Abuja to be a hairs breath of missing out on Olympic football in the summer.
The end result will be on Tuesday,” South African Sharpshooter Kgatlana told reporters after the game.
“We will be at home, familiar with the conditions, that will be advantage.”
Funny that because I too felt that Bayana Bayana didn’t feel quite at home in Abuja despite arriving early to acclimatise.
Much of their flair, flamboyance and flowery football that has caught the Super Falcons off guard in recent outings was conspicuously curtailed by Nigeria’s Abiodun led midfield.
I had expected Nigeria, though playing ‘at home’ would be pegged back earlier in the encounter but it was Waldrum’s women asking all the telling questions.
Indeed, these ladies do want to go to the Olympics and it would have taken a herculean effort for South Africa to bring Nigeria to heel in Abuja.
It is always good to be able to intuit what your team is trying to do and how they go about their business. This bonds you with their ambitions and keep you glued to your seat.
The Super Falcons attacked with long balls to the flanks and some to the centre forward. They would stifle South Africa in midfield with the tackling competencies of Ayinde and Abiodun with Echegini proving the creative sparks.
Chiwendu Iheuzo, who would win the crucial penalty expertly converted by Ajibade, was too hot to handle. Shame she couldn’t bury some telling chances but her place in this team is undeniable.
Echegini was dazzling in her dribbles as she tore into the opposition. Returnee fan-favourite Chidinma Okeke produced a display to ensure that regulars Plumptre and Demehin weren’t missed as much with Nnadozie producing some match winning saves.
As alluded to earlier, I had expected far more formidable and professional challenge from South Africa but they just struggled to dominate the agenda as I had expected them to.
The problem for South Africa is that the Super Falcons are more at home playing in better stadiums with livelier (albeit hostile) atmosphere than what Abuja stadium offers. Also, with the Super Falcons having more days to train, rest and acclimatise, I think South Africa have a lot to worry
about.
Waldrum continues to show that no player has an automatic shirt regardless of status. Toni Payne has been underwhelming of late with on the flanks or in midfield where Iheuzo and Echegini have stepped in to stamp their authority. Oshoala was left out and she wasn’t missed. Ifeoma Onumonu is now playing second fiddle to Okoronkwo and maybe even Iheuzo with Okeke proving she in not a stop-gap, she is here to stay.
My only worry is just the goalkeeping department where no other option matches the stature of Nnadozie.
The South Africans are right to be hopeful of thier chances in the second leg. However, should the Super Falcons approach the match with steely concentration, their Olympic ticket will surely be in the bag.
NFF ONIGBESE as presently constituted is the ENEMY WITHIN that our national teams have to overcome to achieve success.
They don’t have our football interest at heart. They don’t give a damn about the fans. All they care about is sharing money.
We have pleaded with them, reasoned with them, threatened them. We even teargas them.
Na to dey share money na em dem sabi.
For how long will we continue to rely only on the talent of our players, with zero input from NFF? Zero input is even ok. What is not ok is when NFF action or inaction is sabotaging our efforts. Quarreling with players over bonuses, imposing players on the coaches, refusing to pay salaries and bonuses, etc! We are still asking what happened to the $4m Afcon money. Abi the money don enter water?
Until we get it right administratively, we will continue to self implode.
Let’s hope our SF can get the ticket to Paris. If they fail, we all know who is responsible!
Is it surprising that nobody hears anything from them again? Even CSN doesn’t report anything from or about them. We only get statements from the sports minister. It’s like the NFF does not exist. They’re busy. Very busy on you know what.
Till today they’ve said absolutely nothing about the shambolic handling of match streamings in Nigeria. No responsibility. No accountability to anybody. They’re a government to themselves who answer to themselves only. No thanks to the FIFA law of no local or government interference.
Bandits in the glass house. The worst NFF board in the history of Nigeria. I only hope South Africa doesn’t pay us back tomorrow by blacking us out from a live stream while they do some abracadabra behind our backs. What can we do if that happens? CAF knows NFF doesn’t protest cos they don’t care about football. They’re all businessmen and women out for the share of their loots from FIFA and CAF fundings, player allowances, and winning prizes like the unaccounted-for $4m.
NFF didn’t stream the first leg, although they’re obligated to broadcast to South Africa. SAFA can decide to pay us back and we won’t be able to watch it live too. Remember Ellis said this is war – a do or die. And they say all is fair in love and war.
Sabc sport released a chilling and “embarrassing” statement that should make NFF to be ashamed but riffraff are in glasshouse:
“SABC Sport, is sad to announce that we will not broadcast the first leg of the Olympic qualifiers between Nigeria and Banyana Banyana as scheduled for this evening.
SABC Sport has received the following communication from SAFA – “The South African Football Association (SAFA) wishes to communicate that the away first leg Olympic qualifier between Banyana Banyana and Nigeria in Abuja on Friday afternoon will not be broadcast live on the SABC.
We were not able to secure the feed from the host broadcaster in Nigeria on a reciprocal basis that would have been shared with our partner in South Africa, the SABC. This means the match cannot be broadcast in South Africa as we rely on agreements that our hosts have, if and when they broadcast their matches and share our broadcast feed when we host our matches.
We will endeavor to share our home feed with Nigeria when we host them on Tuesday 9th April 2024.”
Hahaha, they are indeed extremely busy. You know it’s not easy to share money with so many greedy mouths waiting.
Even the loquacious blabbermouth communications director has gone silent.
An inquiry needs to occur regarding the whereabouts of that $4m Afcon money.
If that money was misappropriated, then heads have to roll. PERIOD.
Ha Sylvester,
It ended by saying: “The Head of SABC Sport Keletso Totlhanyo commented to say that the second leg on Tuesday 9th April will be live for all South African to enjoy.”
Only God can deliver us from the NFF. I apologise to any South African fan out there for being denied the opportunity to watch the first leg in Abuja.
NFF are a disgrace.
We need people in the Glass House who know FOOTBALL BUSINESS.
People who are skilled at generating revenues from football in particular and sports in general.
A bit of googling reveals that the UK generated 39 billion pounds from sports last year. 8 billion came from football. Imagine how their economy is positively impacted with all that revenue. Their FA has no business relying on their government for funds. They are self sufficient, because they generate such significant sums.
Meanwhile their counterparts NFF ONIGBESE remain ever reliant on the government, cap in hand, begging for funds. Any small money that comes in form of tournament prizes or FIFA bonuses remains unaccounted for.
If NFF can get their act together and replicate what the British FA are doing, we have the market to generate significant revenues. If for instance, we generate $500 million, if they use half of that to service our football and kolobi the rest, nobody will even care! Fans will be happy, because the national teams will be well run, and results will be good! They will be busy celebrating good results.
Why do NFF ONIGBESE limit themselves to sharing small change like the $4m Afcon money, when they can be sharing hundreds of millions with better administration? IT MAKES NO SENSE.
Even if they don’t have the knowhow to do football business, why not invest the Afcon money in getting solid tacticians for the national teams? That way, you invest part of the $4m, and we immediately recoup that when we qualify for the world cup with the participation fees. Then at the world cup proper, if we do like Morocco did or better, we get even more prize money. Then, NFF ONIGBESE will a lot more money to share.
Why settle for small change, when you can be sharing the motherload among yourselves?