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History should repeat itself when Banyana Banyana meet Morocco in the quarterfinals of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) on Saturday in Rabat, says Gloria “Sweet 16″ Hlalele.
“We beat Morocco in Rabat in 2022 to win Wafcon, and they were the hosts,” she said. “They are the hosts even now, and we are meeting them on Saturday, so lightning must strike the same place twice. Banyana Banyana just need to play their usual entertaining football.”
Hlalele, who burst into local football scene at the tender age of 16, in an era when a woman playing football was viewed with suspicion, added that the Wafcon defending champs must play as a unit.
Celebrated as a legendary pioneer and trailblazer who played men’s competitive local football in the 1980s and helped found Banyana Banyana in 1993, Hlalele from Tembisa added: “They seem to be struggling, and you get nervous when watching them play, and that is not what one wants to see, especially when you know their capabilities.
“I give them 100% in their work rate; [and] you need more white players because of their high work rate — remember even in the PSL, we had the likes of Jingles Perreira, Andy Karajinsky and Phillip Venter, who worked very hard.”
Sowetan
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