Banyana Banyana want to finish top of Group C, so they remain in Oudja, which has been their base for the group stage.

Coach, Desiree Ellis, says going into the playoffs with another win under their belts will also give them the momentum and boost their confidence.

Banyana Banyana and Mali are level on four points after two matches in Group C, with a win and a draw each.

The South Africans weren’t happy with their draw against Tanzania on Friday evening and will be gunning for a win against Mali so they remain at their base in Oudja for the quarterfinals.

Finishing at the top of Group C will also mean Banyana will avoid playing Algeria, who finished second in Group B, in the quarter-finals.

Banyana Banyana will instead play Senegal, who will qualify as one of the best third-placed teams.

“We want to finish on top. We also wanna give ourselves momentum after drawing with Tanzania by getting a win. Finishing on top will give us the advantage of continuing to play our quarter-final in the same venue to avoid being distracted. We don’t want to move,” says Banyana Banyana Coach, Desiree Ellis.

The last time Banyana played Mali was in the 2018 edition of the WAFCON tournament, a match they won 2-0.

Ellis says victory will boost their confidence and give them momentum after the disappointing performance against Tanzania.

“When you win, you also have that momentum. You have that confidence, you have that all going for you and we wanna win all our games. But again, moving would be a huge disruption

Banyana Banyana’s match against Mali will kick off at 21:00pm CAT and will be broadcast live, on SABC 3.

--SABC--