Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis has insisted that winning the first match of the tournament was always going to be very important.
Ellis said this after Banyana defeated the Nigerian Super Falcons 2-1 in a Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Group C opening match at the Prince Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat, Morocco, on Monday evening.
Jermaine Seoposenwe and Hilda Magaia scored for Banyana while Rasheedat Ajibade netted for the Super Falcons.
“Look, the first game of the tournament is always very important. We knew we needed to get a good start to give us the confidence, to give us the momentum,” Ellis remarked.
“I thought the players were magnificent. They executed the plan. Maybe in the first half we could have played a lot of balls through.”
The former Banyana captain added that she knew that the only way to match the Super Falcons was to play the ball on the ground something which they mastered.
Banyana are now going to face Burundi in their second group stages match on Thursday while the Super Falcons come up against Botswana on the same day.
