Sport
South Africa Coach Says They are Ready to Beat Nigeria in the WAFCON Clash
South Africa’s women’s national team coach, Desiree Ellis, has confidently stated that her team is ready to take down Nigeria once again as both sides gear up for their semi-final clash in the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. The much-anticipated match between Banyana Banyana and the Super Falcons is scheduled for Tuesday, with high stakes as a spot in the final is up for grabs.
Despite Nigeria’s stronger overall record in past meetings, South Africa won their last WAFCON encounter in 2022, edging the Super Falcons 1-0 in Morocco. That result, Ellis believes, gives her team the belief and strategy needed to win again.
Speaking ahead of the clash, Ellis said they understand what it takes to defeat Nigeria and are fully prepared for the challenge. She added that her players know the weight of this fixture and are determined to come out on top.
Super Eagles defender Calvin Bassey has opened up about a difficult period in his career, revealing that he almost stepped away from football.
Speaking during a recent interview, Bassey shared that he once made a personal promise to himself to quit pursuing football professionally if he failed to secure a spot at a professional club.
“I remember being 15 and going into my final year, and I told myself that if I didn’t get into a professional club, I would quit football. It was that simple,” he said.
“I would just stop pursuing it seriously and only play for fun. Thank God I eventually got a club, because I honestly don’t know where I would be otherwise.”
It has been reported that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) fined Egypt $5,000 following their clash with Zimbabwe for failing to manage post-match media obligations.
It was noted that after the match, the Egyptian players ignored the media. This action was said to be a violation of CAF’s media regulations, which led to the fine being imposed.
Head of the Super Eagles, Eric Chelle, shared that the big-name players on the team are not happy about being benched.
He recalled when he took out Samuel Chukwueze during the match against Tanzania.
“Yes, of course, we’ve in this team a lot of big names. They are competitors; they aren’t happy when they go to the bench,” Chelle said at his post-match interview.”
“My job is to make choices, and we’re playing a 4-4-2 diamond, and at this moment I feel we have to protect the wing.”
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