ORLANDO STADIUM – A crucial double from Thembi Kgatlana ensured that Banyana Banyana advanced to the third round of the 2024 CAF Women’s Olympic Qualifiers, following their 2-0 win against DR Congo on Monday afternoon.

According to South African Football Association, the Sasol-sponsored South African senior national team understood that only a victory would suffice to progress in the qualifiers.

The first half saw both teams unable to find the back of the net despite several attempts. The deadlock continued until halftime, with the home team unable to convert their possession into goals, leaving Orlando Stadium enveloped in tension.

The game-changing moment came in the 71st minute when Kgatlana scored the opening goal, aided by an assist from Nicole Michael. DR Congo continued to press for an equalizing goal, but Kgatlana solidified the win with a second goal in the 88th minute, once again assisted by Michael.

Coach Desiree Ellis expressed her contentment with the win but indicated that the team had the potential to score even more. She mentioned that the 2-0 win would take the team to the third round where they will face either Botswana or Tanzania. “We knew at home that we needed to take charge of the game,” said Ellis. She credited goalkeeper Andile Dlamini for a significant save that kept the team competitive.

Ellis also highlighted the team’s second-half strategy, stating, “We kept saying to the team, ‘keep the intensity up, keep the width up, and the gaps will come in between. Let’s move the ball around quicker,’ and that’s what we did in the second half.”

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