Olympics qualifier: It’s-do-or die against Falcons, warns Banyana coach

The Super Falcons have been cautioned by Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis that it will be "do or die" in the final round of the 2024 Olympics women's football competition in April.

After advancing through their respective third-round qualifiers, South Africa and Nigeria—who both missed out on the women's football competition at the most recent Olympics in Tokyo, Japan—will square off for a spot in the summer Olympics in Paris.

The current African champions defeated Tanzania 4-0 overall to maintain their chances of earning one of two African berths in the women's football competition at the Olympics, while Nigeria required a late goal from Esther Okoronkwo in the second leg to defeat Cameroon in a turgid 180-minute battle over two legs.

“It will be do-or-die (vs Nigeria),” Ellis said after her side’s win over Tanzania.
We are aware that the matchup with Nigeria won't be simple, but we have proven that we are the best team. The return of our greatest players will also be very beneficial, as you need experienced players to win those hard matches, and you also need to strike the appropriate balance between youth and experience.

"Perhaps we can rectify that and achieve the favourable outcomes externally once more," she continued.
In order to improve their chances of defeating the nine-time African champions, the CAF Women's Coach of the Year said that her squad would schedule an early training camp.

We would like to camp early because doing so will increase our chances, she stated.
The first leg of the final playoffs is billed for April 1 at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja with the return leg in South Africa eight days later with the overall winners qualifying for the Olympics.

The Paris 2024 Olympics will hold between July 26 and August 11, 2024.