Banyana defeated Tanzania to get one step closer to the dream of the Paris Olympics.

 Banyana defeated Tanzania to get one step closer to the dream of the Paris Olympics.

Banyana Banyana, who led 1-0 at halftime, put on a workmanlike display to defeat Tanzania's Twiga Stars 3-0 in Friday's Olympic third round first leg qualifier in Dar es Salaam.
The South African national women's team will enter the second match with a commanding 3-0 lead at the Mbombela Stadium on Tuesday. Tanzania would need to score four goals and hold Banyana Banyana scoreless on Tuesday in order to prevent Banyana Banyana from moving on to the next round of qualifying. For a place to the Paris tournament, the winner of the South Africa vs. Tanzania match will compete against the Cameroon versus Nigeria winner. Since Rio in 2016, the South African women have failed to qualify for the Olympics. They were not selected for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. But Banyana Banyana have been trending upwards ever since. They advanced to the FIFA Women's World Cup round of 16 in 2022 and won the Women's Africa Cup of Nations.

Now, high expectations are placed on the team that is rated second in Africa. And after taking on their first match of 2024 yesterday, Banyana Banyana's chances in the qualifying stage appear promising.
Banyana Banyana, ranked 54th in the world, made a strong early impression against Tanzania (152), exerting pressure from the first whistle. The quick winger for Banyana Banyana, Hilda Magaia, circled the left flank of the rival defense before slicing into the goalmouth. As Tanzania's central defense was unable to contain the threat, striker Jermaine Seoposenwe, who was playing well, skillfully slipped the ball into the net for a goal in the tenth minute. Despite having more goal opportunities, Banyana Banyana had a slim 1-0 lead going into the half and went back to the changing rooms.


Banyana Banyana overcame Tanzania's strong start to the second half, dominating and scoring more goals through Thembi Kgatlana, the captain, and Magaia.

The South Africans will depart Tanzania on Saturday in advance of their return match at the Mbombela on Tuesday. Even though those two successes were firsts, the team is now under more pressure to do well in every competition. This includes making it to the Olympic Games in 2024, especially considering that you were not able to attend the previous one in Tokyo four years ago.



Banyana defeated Burkina Faso and the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the first two rounds of the qualifiers, demonstrating their success in their attempts to date to accomplish that accomplishment. They still have to defeat Tanzania in both home and away games in the penultimate qualifiers to get to the promised land, but the hard work doesn't stop there.


Speaking yesterday at the Southern Sun OR Tambo International Airport during the introduction of her 23-person qualifier squad, Ellis supported her team. Ellis stated, "The players understand that when you are succeeding, you always want to do more." Many of the athletes are unwilling to sit back and take it easy.


The main goal is for them to advance one step farther. The teams you compete against become your final opponents when you are at the top.

Thus, we must perform to the highest level possible. Once you've received a prize, you never stop pushing yourself to get more. Ellis may have selected the strongest team for the team, but Refiloe Jane was not included because of medical information that Banyana had from Sassuolo, her club. Ultimately, the Tanzanians are not going to be easy pickings.