Sasol Banyana Banyana head coach Dr Desiree Ellis remains confident her side can keep their CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title defence alive when they face Côte d’Ivoire in a crucial Group B clash on Friday.
The defending African champions suffered a disappointing 2-1 defeat to Tanzania in their opening match and now face a must-win encounter against Côte d’Ivoire, who began their campaign with an emphatic 4-1 victory over Burkina Faso.
The match will be played at the Moulay Rachid Stadium in Casablanca, Morocco, with kick-off set for 7pm South African time.
Ellis acknowledged the importance of the fixture but said her players are focused and determined to respond.
“Another difficult game ahead of us and I don’t think any of the games in the groups are easy. Not getting a result in the first game is a situation that we find ourselves in now, but we know what we’re capable of and it’s a game where we have to get the result.”
She added that the squad has spent time analysing their opponents while maintaining a positive atmosphere in camp.
“The mood is better now in camp compared to a few days ago after the match against Tanzania. We have a group of players that have come here and know what they need to do. Everybody knows what needs to be done, and you don’t need to keep reminding people because they also discuss it amongst each other as a group.”
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