Banyana Banyana captain captain Refiloe Jane has explained why Super Falcons of Nigeria must be respected as the two sides prepare to face off in the first leg of their Olympic qualifier in Abuja on Friday.

A lot will be at stake as the two fierce rivals missed out on the last edition of the Olympics Games in Tokyo in 2021. Many believe that Banyana Banyana have the edge going into the two matches after emerging victorious in the last two encounters against the Super Falcons, winning 4-2 in 2021 in the Aisha Buhari Cup, and again in the group stages of the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in a 2-1 victory.

“It feels good to be back with the team, it has been a long journey of recovery. But all of it is behind me now. I am more focused on rejoining the team and making sure that I am able to share the experience I have gained over the years,” said Jane.

“We have a mandate to qualify for the Olympic Games and that is what we are focused and working on as a team. We know the qualities that we have as a team and we will try to pool all that together and make sure we succeed.”

She added: “Even though we have played Nigeria a couple of times and recently won against them, we still need to give them the respect they deserve. They are still the undisputed African champions when you look at the number of times they have ruled the continent in the WAFCON.”

Banyana coach Desiree Ellis agreed with Jane and further expressed gratitude to the South African Football Association (SAFA) and to sponsors Sasol for work that went into the preparations for the qualifier.

“Firstly, I want to say thank you to SAFA and Sasol for making sure that we got here early and acclimatized. Even though we have got a heat wave in South Africa, it is a completely different heat,” Ellis said.

“We put in a lot of work at home and we have also put in a lot of work here. The players have come in and put all of it together. I am very excited about the training, commitment, and the effort.”