The South African women's soccer team, Banyana Banyana, will need to pick up their game today when they face Africa's top-ranked team, Nigeria.
On Sunday, South Africa beat Tanzania 2-1. The winner came from a penalty kick in the 84th minute from Makhabane Mamello. Earlier this year, South Africa demolished the same opponents 6-3 in a friendly.
Banyana players blamed the weather for Sunday's battling win, but they will need to forget that today as they take on the women's version of the Super Eagles.
Nigeria are in excellent form, having hammered Mali 5-0 on Monday to lead South Africa on goal difference.
Perpetua Nkwocha, who plays for the Swedish club Sunnana SK, is the player Banyana will need to restrict. She scored a hat-trick against Mali and, as captain of the Nigerians, she leads by example.
The 34-year-old, who was Africa's player of the year in 2004 and 2005, might be getting old but her experience is invaluable to the team.
She had planned to retire in 2008 but has decided to play in one more African tournament, and possibly in the World Cup next year. The finalists in the Ekurhuleni tournament will be Africa's teams at the Women's World Cup, to be played in Germany in June.
Even if South Africa lose today, they can qualify for the semifinals but they will have to beat Mali convincingly on Sunday at the same venue
Nigeria will be heading for the quarter-finals almost unthreatened but South Africa will be placing all their hopes on a win against Mali on Saturday (3.30pm). The top two teams from each group qualify for the semifinals, which will be played on Thursday next week.
In group B, Ghana lead with three points after a 2-1 win over Algeria. Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea, who drew 2-2 on Tuesday, are joint second.
The defending champions, Equatorial Guinea, face Algeria tomorrow. Ghana and Cameroon meet on the same day.
Source- Timeslive.co.za
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