Banyana Banyana head coach Dr Desiree Ellis says her charges don’t need any extra motivation coming up against the Super Falcons comparing the rivalry to the Soweto derby between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates.
South Africa and Nigeria renew their rivalry in the highly anticipated WAFCON semifinal this evening. Banyana dethroned Nigeria as the African queens in the last edition and delayed Nigeria’s mission X in the process. The Falcons also denied South Africa’s qualification for the Paris Olympic Games and Nigeria are yet to concede in this tournament while South Africa have conceded once.
Ellis was asked if she has communicated the depth of this rivalry to new players in her squad and she said players have embraced this fixture because it’s also not just at senior level. She added that the high stakes of the encounter are a bigger motivation.
“I don’t think that you need to communicate anything; it’s like a Chiefs vs Pirates derby where you know who you are up against,” said Ellis.
“Players know the strength of Nigeria; players know who Nigeria is. So, I don’t think it needs any motivation. The motivation is obviously the semi-final, but I don’t think it needs a motivation.
“As young as you are, you’ve probably played Nigeria at the youth level as well, so you know the rivalry that there is. So, I think the motivation itself is they’re not just playing against Nigeria but because it’s a semi-final as well.”
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