Antonia Maponya: Banyana motivated to return to Olympic stage

South Africa will be aiming to return to the Olympic stage for the first time since the 2016 Games in Brazil, with the two sides set to meet in a back-to-back first-round encounter in Bloemfontein.

Speaking to SABC Sport, Maponya says the team is hungry to qualify and understands the hard work required to compete at the prestigious tournament again.

“I’m looking forward to the feeling of playing at home, how exciting and motivating it is, and also not forgetting the importance of this game. It will take hard work, dedication and also constantly remembering that we want to go to the Olympics. We all understand that now is the time to get back to this tournament and represent our country. It’s been a long time,” said Maponya.

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South Africa missed out on the opportunity to participate in the 2024 Paris Olympics after losing to Nigeria in the final round of qualifiers.

The 27-year-old says the team cannot afford to miss out on another Olympic Games and will give it their all in order to secure a place at the global showpiece.

“These two games are very crucial, given the fact that we missed the last Olympic Games. We know what it means for us to play our hearts out and ensure that we get the results we need. We are all on the same page and we will work as a unit to achieve our goal and make the country proud,” added Maponya.

Maponya says the immediate focus is on securing positive results in the first round to ensure Banyana progress to the next stage of the qualifiers.