Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis has warned her team not to get distracted by the unusual circumstances surrounding their Olympic qualifier against Madagascar. The match will be played at the Free State Stadium, despite South Africa being the 'away' side, after Madagascar was unable to provide a suitable venue. The game will also be played behind closed doors, with no spectators allowed.
Ellis believes that Banyana have experienced enough of African football to recognise the psychological element and move on. She urged her team to block out the strange setting and focus on delivering a ruthless performance. "We know sometimes it's psychological games, but we've played in Africa and we've been through a lot of things, so it's just something that we will brush off and make sure that we get the result," Ellis said.
Banyana will effectively have home conditions for both legs, with the return scheduled for Tuesday at the same venue. However, Ellis knows that advantage will count for little if they fail to put Madagascar under pressure from the outset. "We have to really make sure that we start well," Ellis said. "Games have shown that if you don't take the bull by the horns from the start, you end up having to struggle to break down an opponent, struggling to put the ball in the back of the net."
Ellis' warning comes with the recent Women's Africa Cup of Nations still fresh in her mind. Banyana created opportunities in several matches in Morocco but were not clinical enough to turn them into results. "We probably should have beaten Tanzania, had very good opportunities even against Morocco, even against Burkina Faso," Ellis said.
Ellis wants her team to combine their attacking threat with defensive discipline. "We know we're going to create opportunities and when we create those opportunities, we've got to make sure that we put it in the back of the net," she said. "Keeping a clean sheet is also really important." The stakes are significant, with only two African nations ultimately qualifying for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
South Africa have not been to the Olympics since Rio 2016, and now face a considerably longer route back to the Games. CAF's qualification process consists of five knockout rounds, with Banyana entering directly in the second round. Ellis is determined that Banyana do not allow the size of the task to distract them from the immediate challenge.
With the first leg taking place in an empty stadium, Ellis hopes the second encounter will provide a very different atmosphere. The Free State Stadium will be open to supporters for Tuesday's return, with the coach urging the Bloemfontein public to turn out. "We're hoping that the second game they come out and fill up the stadium to show Madagascar what they've missed by not having fans in the stadium," Ellis said.
Key points
- Desiree Ellis urges Banyana to focus on performance against Madagascar in Olympic qualifier
- Banyana will play both legs at the Free State Stadium due to Madagascar's venue issues
- Ellis wants Banyana to combine attacking threat with defensive discipline to secure Olympic qualification
