In Banyana Banyana's latest achievement after the team qualified for the Round of 16 in the FIFA Women's World Cup, they defeated Italy 3-2 at the Wellington Regional Stadium in New Zealand on Wednesday morning (South African time).
Prior to the game, there had been doubts from some sections of the supporters in Mzansi about the chances for coach Desiree Ellis and the team, with some people even suggesting certain changes to be made with regards to the playing personnel.
The team went on to do business with goals from Benedetta Orsi (own goal), Hildah Magaia and Thembi Kgatlana sealing the deal, while everyone else on the field did their job exceptionally.
Veteran football administrator Ria Ledwaba, who is a former SAFA vice president, has urged Mzansi to rally behind Banyana.
The Good
"I think these are the results of the work we started in 2004 at the High-Performance Centre. Those more than 100 girls who passed through that academy are making 80% of that team and we are grateful that today it is them who are making attempts in the World Cup against teams that are ranked higher in the world. It's an amazing feeling. It's an achievement and the girls were resilient and did not give Italy any respect or whatsoever. They went there and staked their claim while playing like true African champions. Every time I have been interviewed and asked what I would like for Banyana to achieve, I have maintained that I wanted them to qualify for the knockout stages. The rest will be a bonus. They have done very well so far. I mean, for a team that's ranked number 54 in the world to beat Italy (number 16) and make them struggle to perform, that was incredible, and the results are there for everyone to see. We are happy and proud that they are in the top 16 and they will be playing the Netherlands who are number nine in the FIFA rankings. I don't look too much into what the numbers say, I know those girls are going to surprise a lot of European countries," said Ledwaba.
The Bad
"Imagine if the girls had good preparations before they left, what could they have achieved. Without pointing fingers to anyone, we simply say they went there like African champions and left everything on the field. South Africans need to understand that when people fight for their rights, we must always look at the facts. We must not hear what people are saying but we must first understand where they are coming from. I think somewhere they were misunderstood that they wanted all the money from SAFA, and I don't think that's what they said," she said.
The Ugly
"They were saying that there is an amount that has been allocated by FIFA and they wanted that to show in their contracts. They wanted the $30, 000 (R572,000, participation fee) to appear in their contracts. They wanted SAFA to make an obligation and they were not demanding and its money from FIFA which had already been allocated to teams," Ledwaba added.
"We must learn something from those girls"
"I was very happy that the girls stood together because most of the time people do not achieve because of the cracks. They did not allow that and they stuck together and said they were united on the cause and wanted a decision that would be taken and involve all of them. I think we must learn something from those girls that unity is strength. When you are united about something and want to achieve something, you will achieve it and I'm not surprised that they are doing so well there," concluded Ledwaba.
What's your congratulatory message to Banyana?
