Banyana veteran Matlou itches for last run at Olympics

Banyana Banyana stalwart Noko Matlou, 38, has vowed to give her all to make sure she doesn’t miss a chance to get her Olympics swansong in Paris in 2024.

Banyana face one last hurdle, Nigeria, to qualify for the Olympics. These two powerhouses of the African women’s football battle it out in the first leg of the last round of the qualifiers at Mko Abiola Stadium in Abuja on Friday (6pm SA time). The return leg is billed for Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Tuesday (7.30pm).

“It would be my last Olympics if we qualify, so it’s very important that I give my all to make sure we secure our spot there [in Paris],” said Matlou, who was part of the Banyana squads in their previous appearances at the Games in London (2012) and Rio (2016).,

It  pains Matlou that Banyana failed to qualify for the last Games in 2021 in Tokyo. “This encounter against Nigeria is very important. It’s also very important for us to qualify for the Olympics since we missed out on the last edition,” said the 2008 CAF Women’s Footballer of the Year.

Matlou  said they are trying by all means to make the younger generation in the squad understand the significance of the clash against Nigeria, saying the youngsters must absorb the teachings of stalwarts  who won’t be part of the side in the near future.

“As experienced players, we are working very hard in making sure we drive the message to the youngsters that this game is crucial. We are stressing that they must learn as much as they can from us,” said Matlou. 

Meanwhile, midfielder Amogelang Motau indicated that the team had acclimatised to Nigerian conditions.

“We’ve been in Nigeria for several days now. The spirit in camp is very high. We’ve acclimatised and we are used to the weather,” said Motau.

The Olympics will take place in Paris from July 26 to August 11.