Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis says South Africa will not take their foot off the pedal when they face Madagascar in the second leg of their 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games qualifiers in Bloemfontein on Tuesday.
South Africa head into the 18:00 clash at the Free State Stadium with a 4-0 advantage after a convincing first-leg victory on Friday.
Ronnel Donnelly scored a hat-trick, while Hildah Magaia added the fourth goal to put the reigning African champions in a strong position to progress.
Despite the comfortable lead, Ellis has cautioned her team against complacency, insisting that they must remain focused from the opening whistle.
“We said we wanted to take the tie away from them and I don’t want to sound disrespectful, but we have to play really badly that we don’t get through this round, but we still have to put up a professional performance,” Ellis said.
The coach is also looking forward to the support of Bloemfontein fans after Friday’s encounter was played behind closed doors at Madagascar’s request.
Ellis said the team would use the match to build on their performance while working on areas that need improvement ahead of facing stronger opposition.
Meanwhile, Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies forward Lelona Daweti has been called up to the national team camp following Bonolo Mokoma’s release due to injury.
Tuesday’s match is another step in Banyana Banyana’s bid to qualify for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
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