Refiloe Jane calls for Banyana to fight for World Cup lifeline

South Africa’s hopes of automatic World Cup qualification suffered a blow after the 2022 WAFCON champions were eliminated from the competition following a 2-1 quarterfinal defeat to hosts Morocco.

Jane admits the early exit has been difficult to accept, but says the team must quickly put the disappointment behind them and focus on the crucial play-off.

“The mood is still very low, with a lot of disappointed faces. We have given another day or two for everyone to be in the same head space. People react differently to different results.

“We have a big game to look forward to against Nigeria. We need to dust ourselves off and refocus. We need to be motivated and fight for World Cup qualification. We have to give grace where it is due, but we can’t sulk throughout the tournament. We have a big one coming up, so we need to put our heads up and bounce back,” said Jane.

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The Banyana captain says missing out on automatic qualification has put the team in a difficult position, but believes they can still overcome the challenge by fighting as a unit. 

“We have been trying to combine as a team, but I think it is also the type of opponents we have been playing against. When we played Morocco, it was slightly better because we have a similar style of play, and I believe our performance was a lot more improved compared to the other matches.

“Now we look ahead to the play-offs against Nigeria and we have to make sure that we approach that match with a positive mindset,” added Jane.