Banyana Banyana star Thembi Kgatlana has criticized the Nigerian Football Federation following their 1-0 loss at the MKO Abiola National Stadium last week.
The Super Falcons secured a narrow 1-0 victory over the South Africans, who are determined to continue their recent successes by qualifying for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
With the return leg scheduled for Tuesday, South Africa is keen to avoid conceding an early goal at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria to enhance their chances.
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Kgatlana expressed her dissatisfaction with the NFF’s failure to properly prepare the playing surface at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, suggesting that it affected their ability to maintain possession in the first leg.
“The fact that the grass wasn’t cut, especially knowing that we’re a team that focuses on ball movement,” Kgatlana explained to SABC News.
“I mentioned earlier that when we return home with better facilities, we anticipate the pitch will be more favorable to us, similar to how it favored them.
“They are not a team that emphasizes ball possession; instead, they prefer to play with directness. They drop the ball, it doesn’t bounce, it just sits on top. That’s their strategy, and I believe it worked for them. However, we’ll have an advantage when we play at home with improved facilities.”