Banyana Banyana midfielder Amanda Dlamini says they have to show composure as they approach the first leg of the third round of the 2016 Rio Olympic qualifiers against Kenya.

Banyana Banyana midfielder Amanda Dlamini says they have to show composure as they approach the first leg of the third round of the 2016 Rio Olympic qualifiers against Kenya.

The South African Senior Women’s National Team welcomes the Harambe Starlets of Kenya on Saturday, 18 July 2015 at Dobsonville Stadium, Soweto. Kick-off is at 15h00.

Dlamini, who has been struggling with a bout of flu, says these qualifiers mean a lot to them. They reached this stage after beating Gabon in the last round.

“It starts now for us to realise how important it is to qualify – we are going to the home stretch now and we think this is where we can see our goal clearly, but this is also the time to show composure and really focus on each game at a time, just take it step by step because I believe this is our time. It is very important for us to qualify and it is also important for South African football,” said the former Banyana Banyana captain.

The squad has been hard at training since the start of camp on Sunday, 12 July – they also took time off their busy schedule to visit their fans in Soweto on Thursday (16 July) but their sights are firmly set on Kenya.

“Our coach always emphasises that we need to focus on our game, but it is also important to be aware of our opponents so that we can plan thoroughly for them. In the meantime we are working hard on our abilities and focusing on what we can do as players. It is important that we play our own game and stamp our authority from the onset and the rest we can sort out in the second leg,” added Dlamini.

The return leg will be played on Sunday, 2 August at Machakos Stadium in the capital Nairobi.