Chronicle Editor
Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
COSAFA president Phillip Chiyangwa has hailed South Africa’s Banyana Banyana for their maiden qualification to the Fifa World Cup finals that will be held in France next year.
The South Africans qualified as one of the three teams from the African continent by virtue of reaching the finals of the African Nations Cup where they eventually lost 3-4 on penalties to Nigeria in Ghana on Saturday.
“I am really proud of my girls, they have made the region proud and I know that they are going to France not to make up numbers but to compete and the so-called powerhouses like the holders United States of America, Canada, Germany, Japan must watch out for the Southern Africans, its gonna be lit,” said Chiyangwa.
He urged the South Africans to prepare thoroughly and remain fully focused for the finals.
“These are girls who know what they are doing, remember they came to Zimbabwe and beat us at Barbourfields Stadium in the Cosafa final and defended their title on home soil this year so they are indeed a compact lot and I have all the confidence that as Cosafa region we will indeed be proud of them, special congratulations go to the Safa president Danny and his executive,” said Chiyangwa, who is also the Zifa president.
The draw for the finals will be conducted this Saturday in France.
A total of 24 teams will battle for the World Cup next year.
Fifa women’s world cup participants
African zone: Cameroon, Nigeria, South Africa
Asian zone: Australia, China PR, Japan, Korea Republic, Thailand
European zone: England, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Scotland, Spain, Sweden
North, Central American and Caribbean zone: Canada, Jamaica, USA
Oceania zone: New Zealand
South American zone: Argentina, Brazil, Chile.
Online Reporter