Banyana Banyana goalkeeper Andile Dlamini has spoken out about the controversial penalty that helped them secure a place in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations ( WAFCON ) final set for Saturday.
A stoppage-time penalty converted by Linda Motlhalo helped South Africa cruise its way into the finals of Africa’s flagship women’s football tournament.
This is Banyana’s second consecutive final and fifth overall in the competition’s history.
The CAF Interclub Player of the Year and Player of the Year nominee revealed how quickly she prayed to God to come to their rescue when the referee checked VAR for the late drama penalty awarded to them.
“The last dying moment of the game, when everything was stopped, the referee had to go and check VAR. At some point, I didn’t understand what happened. I then thought maybe we did something in the box. But the moment I heard Jermaine telling the referee, “I kicked the ball, and she followed through by kicking me, ” I was like, okay, I get it now. I stayed motivated and prayed to God, and I said I know God you love us all on the field, but we ask for a favour, and I thanked him for coming to our rescue. The VAR saw it, and in the end, it was the referee’s decision,” Dlamini told SAFA media.
Dlamini went on to commend her teammates for a job well done and extremely working hard in making sure that the side reached the finals.
“I believe my teammates worked hard, and I’m proud of them. In a football game, you need to remind someone how great they are and what great job they are doing. The defence has been fantastic in communicating with the midfielders. These clean sheets are for the team, not individuals. I still say I am who I am because of my teammates, and they are who they are because of everyone,” she added.
It is now five out of five in the competition for the 2018 finalists who have progressed to the finals of the continental tournament and are in contention for their first ever WAFCON title.
Desiree Ellis’ charges will face the host country Morocco in the finals on Saturday, 23 July 2022, and the Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies goal-minder is unfazed by their opponents.
“We are very happy that we have made it to the finals. God is good all the time. I believe each and everyone in this team wants to win the tournament, and they are motivated. I know for a fact that everyone wants to do this for a change and positive vibes in South Africa. You know, when you walk onto the field, nobody want to lose the game. We want to do this for all young people who are depressed as they have to come back, be themselves, enjoy life and work hard to better their lives. We are getting a whole lot of youngsters who are killing themselves these days and obviously violence. We need to unite everyone by bringing the WAFCON title home,” she said.
She admitted that the Copper Queens were a tough opponent. “It wasn’t an easy game. We needed each other more than anything,” These were the words of Banyana Banya shot-stopper Andile Dlamini after they narrowly beat neighbours Zambia 1-0 in the semi-finals of the WAFCON in Casablanca on Monday night.
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