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Banyana eye top three for Fifa Women’s World Cup ticket
Coach Desiree Ellis knows the team need to finish in the top three in Ghana to seal a first World Cup appearance
Past disappointments will serve as a big motivator for Banyana Banyana when they tackle Mali in the semifinals of the African Women’s Championship on Tuesday‚ as the side seek to book their ticket to the Fifa Women’s World Cup in France at the first time of asking. Banyana need to finish in the top three in Ghana to seal a first World Cup appearance and have come desperately close in the past. There are years of hurt to make up for on Tuesday. Coach Desiree Ellis will know too that should the side fail on Tuesday they will face a potentially tougher third-fourth place play-off against either Cameroon or Nigeria‚ who contest the second semifinal. They have beaten both teams in 2018‚ but in the heat of a pressurised fixture‚ it will be a tough ask for them to do so again. On paper‚ Mali look the weaker of the three potential opponents to book that World Cup spot. It was a similar scenario in 2014 when Banyana needed to beat Ivory Coast in the bronze-medal match to reach the World Cup ...
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