Yaounde - The mind games started before it was even official that Banyana Banyana would meet Nigeria in the semi-final of the Africa Women Cup of Nations (AWC).
And now that it’s official, they will intensify before Tuesday’s clash in Limbe with the two nations sharing a hotel.
“You must beat Egypt so that we can beat you guys in the semi-final,” one Banyana player was told by her Nigerian counterpart in a lift last week.
The nine-time African champions didn’t even think that there was a possibility that they wouldn’t top Group B because of their dominance, even though there was a mathematical chance that they could be leapfrogged in the final round of the group matches. The 11 goals that Nigeria have scored in three games is the same number of goals that all four teams in Group A - Cameroon, Banyana, Egypt and Zimbabwe - managed, highlighting how unstoppable the Super Falcons have been.
The Nigerians have also been dominant in their clashes with Banyana, rendering this a one-sided rivalry. The political and financial battles that these two nations wage are the only thing that can be called rivalry. In football, Nigeria have reigned supreme. But four years ago, in the 2012 AWC, Banyana stunned the West Africans 1-0 in the semi-final. It was the side’s first win over Nigeria in a competitive match.
Noko Matlou was there when Banyana finally put one over the Super Falcons.
“We have to first prepare ourselves mentally because we know that it’s war whenever we meet them,” Matlou said. “If we are mentally stronger, we can beat them because we have done it in the past. The beautiful football that we have played has also seen us win over a number of Cameroonian fans. If we continue with that, we will be in a good position because they will continue to back us against Nigeria. Having them in our corner will will frustrate Nigeria.”
The tranquil surroundings of Limbe have been a welcomed change for Banyana, who are coming from the chaotic scenes of the capital city in Yaounde. Even language-wise Limbe is welcoming for the South Africans. They speak English, unlike in Yaounde where French is the dominant language. That calmness propelled them to a 5-0 thrashing of Egypt to book a place in the semi-finals.
“Getting to this stage wasn’t easy for us,” Matlou said. “We made things hard for ourselves by drawing and losing our first two matches. We put ourselves under too much pressure but we recover well and I think that the momentum will do us good in the semi-final.”
Banyana watched Nigeria demolish Kenya 4-0 to top Group B with Ghana joining them in the last four. The Black Queens will take on hosts Cameroon in Yaounde in tomorrow’s first match at 5pm. Three hours later in Limbe, Banyana face Nigeria.
For Banyana to reach the final, they must win the mental battle that will begin when they bump into each other in the hotel.
The Star