Banyana Banyana are geared to take a massive step towards qualifying for the 2016 Africa Women Cup of Nations (AWCN) when they take on Botswana on Saturday, 9 April 2016 at the Lobatse Sports Complex in the first leg of the final qualifiers.
Banyana Banyana are geared to take a massive step towards qualifying for the 2016 Africa Women Cup of Nations (AWCN) when they take on Botswana on Saturday, 9 April 2016 at the Lobatse Sports Complex in the first leg of the final qualifiers.
Kickoff is at 16h00.
The South Africans arrived in the neighbouring country on Tuesday, 5 April 2016 and wasted no time in getting down to business, holding their training sessions at the National Stadium.
South Africa who had a bye in the previous round, faces Botswana who are on a high after walloping Mauritius 11-0 on aggregate in the previous round. They won the first leg 7-0 and walloped the home side 4-0 in Curepipe in the return leg.
“We have played Botswana before and have often triumphed over them but this is a completely different match altogether. Botswana has grown in leaps and bounds so we cannot undersestimate them. We need to be at our level best to ensure we get a good result. It is important that we return home with a scoreline that will not put us under pressure in the second leg,” said Banyana Banyana head coach Vera Pauw.
The squad returns home on Sunday, 10 March with the return leg scheduled for Tuesday, 12 April 2016 at the Makhulong Stadium in Tembisa.
Kick off at 19h00.
The Sasol-sponsored Banyana Banyana are no strangers to this competition:
- hosted it three times – 2000, 2004, 2010 •
- together with Ghana, have the second most appearances with 10 – Nigeria and Cameroon are on 11
- Runners up four times – 1995, 2000, 2008, 2012
- Third place two times – 2006, 2010
- Fourth place two times – 2002, 2014
Facts about AWCN:
- The Africa Women Cup of Nations (known as the African Women’s Championship until 2015) is an international women’s football competition held every two years and sanctioned by the Confederation of African Football (CAF)
- It was first contested in 1991, but was not held biennially until 1998
- South Africa did not participate in the first instalment in 1991
- Nigeria is the most successful nation is the tournament’s history, having won a record 9 titles, meaning they have won all but two of the previous tournaments
- Cameroon will host the next championship in 2016
- The competition has served as a qualifying tournament for the FIFA Women’s World Cup every other tournament since its inception in 1991
- On 6 August 2015, the CAF Executive Committee decided to change the name of the tournament from the African Women’s Championship to the Africa Women Cup of Nations, similar to the men’s version, Africa Cup of Nations.