Banyana Banyana head coach Desiree Ellis has announced her starting XI to face Democratic Republic Congo in the first leg of their 2024 Olympic Games qualifier.
The 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations champions do not want to repeat what happened in 2020 and miss the Olympic Games.
Banyana missed out on the 2020 Tokyo Games after being eliminated by Botswana in the qualifying rounds.
They meet DRC in the second round first leg encounter at Stade de Martrys this afternoon for qualification for the Paris event next year with the second leg scheduled for Orlando Stadium on 30 October 2023.
Banyana have had some withdrawals, owing to injury and exams, and late arrivals in camp but players are confident of getting maximum points even though they are still missing the chunk of the players that helped the team finish in the second round at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The qualifiers are also being used as farewell fixtures for former captain Janine Van Wyk, who announced she will retire from international football after this round.
If she plays in both matches, Van Wyk will become the highest capped player in African football history – among both men and women.
She was named on the bench for this fixture.
Here is how they line up:
Banyana XI: Swart, Shongwe, Magama, Dhlamini, Mhlongo, Biyana, Cesane, Motau, Magaia, Salgado, Kgatlana
Subs: Dlamini, Van Wyk, Nokuthula, Motlhalo, Moosa, Hadebe, Michael, Moletsane
