Desiree Ellis, head coach of South Africa's national women's football team, Banyana Banyana, maintains optimism despite a 1-0 defeat to Nigeria in the first leg of the 2024 Olympic Games final qualifying round, Nigeriasoccernet.com reports.
Ellis believes her side still holds a strong chance of securing a spot at the Paris Olympics, as they gear up for the decisive second leg clash at Pretoria's Loftus Versfeld Stadium.
Reflecting on their performance in the first leg, Ellis acknowledges room for improvement but emphasizes confidence in her team's abilities.
"Looking forward to the game tomorrow, we have looked at the footage [first game] as well. We know we are better than what we showed in Nigeria. We can do way better than that, and I think the second half showed how well we can play," Ellis expressed to safa.net.
She further emphasized the importance of an early goal to set the tone for the match, acknowledging the challenge posed by Nigeria's one-goal advantage but affirming her team's readiness for any scenario.
By Olujimi Dare Ogun