Banyana beat Tanzania in Women’s Olympic qualifier
Banyana eased into a 3-0 victory against Tanzania at Azam Complex Stadium in Saturday’s Women’s Olympic qaulifier.
Banyana Banyana defeated Tanzania 3-0 in the first leg of the CAF Women’s Olympic qualifier played at the Azam Complex Stadium on Friday.
Desiree Ellis’s charges are now favourites to progress, having failed a huge first-leg advantage.
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Banyana started a bit rusty as they tried to settle into the game but discovered their rhythm as the game progressed, with Jermaine Seoposenwe scoring the opening goal of the match following a Hildah Magaia pass in the 10th minute.
The African women’s football champions went into the halftime break leading 1-0 and coach Desiree Ellis made a few technical changes in the second period, with Amogelang Motau replacing Kholosa Biyana.
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The changes gave the visitors more opportunities to extend the lead and the pressure eventually ended when captain Thembi Kgatlana found the back of the net in the 57th minute.
Magaia put the game beyond the East Africans when she scored the third in the 86th minute.
Banyana wrote their name into the history books after becoming the first-ever SA national team to make it out of the WC group stages. Other changes included Noxolo Cesane replacing Gabriela Salgado and Nthabiseng Majiya replacing Thembi Kgatlana.
Banyana will return to South Africa on Saturday 24 February and travel to Mpumalanga on 25 February for the second leg.
The second leg will be played on Tuesday 27 February at Mbombela Stadium.
Banyana are closer to making a third appearance at the Olympics after doing so in 2012 and 2016, both times failing to go past the first round in the 12-team tournament.