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- Banyana Banyana failed to qualify for the Olympics for the second time in a row having also missed the Games in Tokyo.
- The senior women's national team lost 1-0 to Nigeria on aggregate, failing to make use of home support to turn around their 1-0 loss from the first leg in Abuja on Friday.
- Desiree Ellis's team now has to focus on the Women's Africa Cup of Nations where they are the defending champions later this year.
- For more Banyana Banyana news, go to News24's dedicated soccer page.
The scoreline and the history books say that Nigeria beat Banyana Banyana to be one of two African representatives at the Olympics later this year. But on close inspection, the South Africans lost to themselves more than they did to their formidable foe.
Banyana were their own worst enemy in a match where they should have taken the game to Nigeria after losing 1-0 in Abuja on Friday in the first leg of the final round of the Olympics qualifiers.
Instead, Banyana lacked energy, aggression and creativity as they played to a goalless draw that ended their Olympics dreams at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Tuesday night.
There was little to show that Nigeria actually touched down in South Africa, with the Super Falcons happy to just soak up the pressure from Banyana and manage the game.
The 11-time African champions showed their experience to get a result when they were not at their best performance-wise, and with their squad not at full strength.
Banyana – who have grown in leaps and bounds since winning the 2022 Women's Africa Cup of Nations and reaching the last 16 of the FIFA Women's World Cup – played with naivety and without the determination that has seen them become one of the most feared teams in the continent.
This was a major test for Banyana who have stepped up on the big stage, and are now expected to maintain the standards of being one of the top guns. They failed here, putting on an uninspired display despite the crowd's best to play their part.
South Africans came in their numbers to push Banyana over the line with the Olympics within touching distance, needing just to overturn the 1-0 loss from the first leg to appear at the Games for the third time in the team's history.
Even political rivals – the ANC and EFF – put their differences aside ahead of the elections to unite in a common cause of backing the African champions, who were playing in front of one of the best home crowds they have received in a major tournament.
Before the match, there was a concern that the Nigerian diaspora in Pretoria would outnumber South Africans – having previously done so in Bafana Bafana matches played in Gauteng.
Desiree Ellis justified the decision to play here by saying that they were banking on the altitude to trouble Nigeria, calling on South Africans to come in their numbers.
The supporters responded well, with the home crowd not only coming in their numbers, but also loudly and proudly backing Banyana.
The performance on the field, however, didn't match the crowd's energy. Banyana lacked aggression and a creative spark with the forwards operating in a different world than the creative midfield players who are supposed to supply them.
That resulted in Thembi Kgatlana and Jermaine Seoposenwe playing too wide from each other and being isolated from the rest of the team.
That played into the hands of the Super Falcons, whose squad has been depleted by injuries, forcing them to shuffle and field the Benfica midfielder Christy Ucheibe at centre back.
Banyana failed to capitalise on this by putting pressure on the Nigerians. Instead, the visitors played with more confidence, comfortable that they had done their part in the first leg and it was up to Banyana to take the initiative in the return leg.
When the Super Falcons were tested, they used their physical strength to bully Banyana players off the ball.
Ellis introduced Hildah Magaia early in the second half, banking on the "bread winner" to rescue Banyana having done so on many occasions. But with no supply and support, Magaia wasn't effective.
When Banyana does an introspection of their failed Olympics qualification, a large part should fall on them with the team failing to show up when it mattered.
