Antonia Maponya: South Africa determined to end Olympic absence

Banyana Banyana defender Antonia Maponya says South Africa are determined to qualify for the 2028 Olympic Games when they begin their CAF Women’s Olympic Qualifiers campaign against Madagascar on 9 October.

The sides will meet in Bloemfontein in a back-to-back first-round tie, with South Africa seeking a return to the Olympic stage for the first time since the 2016 Games in Brazil.

Maponya said the prospect of playing at home had added to the team’s motivation, but stressed that Banyana Banyana understood the importance of starting the qualification campaign strongly.

“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,” Maponya told SABC Sport.

“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.”

South Africa were unable to reach the 2024 Paris Olympics after losing to Nigeria in the final round of qualifying.

The disappointment of missing that tournament has increased the importance of the upcoming tie for the squad, according to the 27-year-old defender.

“These two games are very crucial, given the fact that we missed the last Olympic Games,” she said.

“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.”

Banyana Banyana must first negotiate the opening round against Madagascar before they can progress further in the qualifying competition.

Maponya said the immediate priority was to secure positive results across the two matches and give South Africa the best possible chance of advancing to the next stage.

The defender added that the team were united in their ambition to return to the Olympics and understood the effort required to reach the global tournament again.