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Banyana Banyana got off to a flying start with a sublime and we’ll deserved 2-1 win over nine-time record African champions Nigeria in their first Group C encounter at the ongoing 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco on Monday night in Rabat.
Desiree Ellis’ outfit scored twice in two minutes thanks Jermaine Seoposenwe and Hilda Magaia goals in the 60th and 62nd minutes to destabilize their opponents, who were caught off-guard by the quick firing South Africans.
The South African ladies made their intentions clear right from kickoff, pushing forward with Thembi Kgatlana and Seoposenwe asking the right questions and building momentum, which explained the 61% ball possession they registered at the end of the game.
Ellis said in the post-match press conference: “This is a very big win for us as a team. We needed to get this result because it sets the tone for the rest of the tournament. We had a meeting before we started training to talk about our goals and ambitions. We want to qualify for the World Cup and win the title here.
“We know what happened in 2018, but we have matured over the past four years and there are changes in our team. Jermaine played about four positions today. That is the versatility we have now as a team.
“This victory is for everyone back home and for all the coaches. This is for everyone connected to women’s football back home,” a content Ellis added.
This is South Africa’s second win over Nigeria in the past 10 months, having stunned the defending champions 4-2 in the Aisha Buhari Invitational Cup in Lagos.
For Nigeria, this is a new horizon that they find themselves in as for the second WAFCON in a row they have lost to the same side in their opening game of the tournament.
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