Banyana need not be intimidated by Sweden, says Hildah Magaia

Banyana Banyana striker Hildah Magaia has urged her teammates to approach their Fifa Women's World Cup opening match against group favourites Sweden with a positive mind.

The Limpopo-born forward goes to her maiden World Cup tournament in high spirits after helping Banyana lift the Women's Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) trophy in Morocco in July last year, scoring a brace in the 2-1 win against the hosts in the final in Rabat.

Magaia was also on the scoresheet with ace striker Thembi Kgatlana in Banyana's final preparation match against Costa Rica on Saturday.

“We should go there with a positive mind, positive energy, so we cannot be threatened by them having a higher ranking,” Magaia said before Banyana's match at Wellington Regional Stadium on Sunday.

“That's what we can do so we can gain the confidence going to the game and not be intimidated by them.”

The past year has felt like a whirlwind for 28-year-old Magaia who now plays for South Korean club Sejong Sportstoto. She is looking forward to making an impact at the World Cup after being left out of the team that played in the 2019 finals in France.

“There's a lot of mixed emotions,” said the striker of the challenge the 54th-ranked South Africans face as the clear underdogs against Sweden, 16th-ranked Italy and 28th-ranked Argentina in group G.

“I'm nervous but at the same time I'm looking forward to the tournament and to the first game, and to seeing how it feels to play on the biggest stage.

“I could say the motivation I take from the Wafcon is just the continuation of what we did, or what I did, in the Wafcon. But it's about upping the intensity and the pace a bit higher because the stage is not the same.

“This is the highest stage and it needs one to up their game and be ready for anything.” 

Banyana's next assignment after Sunday's opener will be against Argentina, who they meet at the Forsyth Barr Stadium on July 28. South Africa's encounter with Italy on August 2 completes their group G engagements.

South Africa's main target is to progress out of the group stage, a feat they failed to achieve at the previous World Cup in France four years ago, losing against Spain (3-1), China (1-0) and Germany (4-0).

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