[LOOK] SA queens must calm World Cup nerves for a Swede start
|Published
Unafraid: Ace Hildah Magaia
Banyana Banyana hero Hildah Magaia has told her teammates not to be nervous in order to have Swede start at the Women’s World Cup.
In Sunday’s 7am Group G opener at the Wellington Regional Stadium in New Zealand, the African champions will square up with world No.3 Sweden - a team ranked the hele 51 places above them.
But even after admitting to feeling the nerves herself, Magaia called on her teammates to find the spirit that made them Wafcon winners last year.
1️⃣8️⃣ days to go the @FIFAWWC 🏆⚽️
— Banyana_Banyana (@Banyana_Banyana) July 3, 2023
2️⃣1️⃣ days to go until the African Champions play their opening match!!
🇿![CDATA[]]>🇦![CDATA[]]>💚![CDATA[]]>💛#LiveTheImpossible #RoadToTheFIFAWWC pic.twitter.com/oy5OaAKjaP
Magaia banged in a brace in their famous 2-0 win over host nation Morocco in the final last July and she tells Safa media: “There are a lot of mixed emotions.
“I’m kind of nervous, but at the same time, I’m looking forward to the first game and play on the biggest stage.
“We should be positive and not be threatened by them having that higher ranking.
“My motivation is to build on what we did or what I did, but just upping the intensity.
“We know the pace will be higher, because this is the highest stage.
“We need to up our game and be ready for anything.”
With dangerous and experienced stars like captain Caroline Seger and leading goalscorer Kosovare Asllani in Sweden’s squad, SA coach Desiree Ellis urged her span to make history and fight for a first-ever World Cup win, at this their second successive tournament.
She tells Fifa’s website: “[Getting a first win at this stage] motivated us to want to come back a second time.
“Now it’s up to the players, to stand up and say: ‘Let’s make another historic moment’.”
WEEKEND’S WORLD CUP FIXTURES
Friday: Nigeria v Canada (4.30am), Philippines v Switzerland (7am), Spain v Costa Rica (9.30am). Saturday: USA v Vietnam (3am), Zambia v Japan (9am), England v Haiti (11.30am), Denmark v China (2pm). Sunday: Netherlands v Portugal (9.30am), France v Jamaica (12pm).