South African women’s national team forward, Hildah Magaia is unfazed by the higher FIFA rankings occupied by their opponents at the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ currently taking place in New Zealand and Australia.
The South Africans have been drawn in one of the toughest groups of the competition where they open their campaign against 3rd ranked, Sweden before facing Argentina who are ranked 28th and concluding their group fixtures with 16th ranked Italy.
Banyana Banyana are ranked 54th, however – the South Africans head to the global showpiece with the hard-earned crown of being African Queens after being crowned champions of the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco 2022.
Magaia, who was speaking from her team’s training base in Wellington, New Zealand ahead of Sunday’s match said she, and the rest of her teammates would be drawing inspiration from their historic run in the WAFCON and take the intensity even higher for the global stage.
“The motivation I take is from the WAFCON on how we did and how I did and upping the intensity a bit. The stage is not the same. This is the highest stage, and it needs one to up their game be and ready for anything” said a confident Magaia.
“I think we should go there with a positive mind and positive energy so that we don’t take our spirit down and not be threatened by them being in a higher ranking. We need to work hard so that we can gain our confidence going into the game and not be intimated by them”, she added.
The nippy forward, who dons the number 8 jersey heads to the tournament as one of the team’s key players following her stellar display in Morocco that was accompanied by a joint top goalscorer accolade at the continental showpiece.
“I am kind of nervous but at the same time looking forward to the tournament and looking forward to the first game and see how it feels to play at this big stage” she concluded.
Hilda Magaia Profile
DOB 16 December 1994
CAPS 24
JERSEY # 8
Club Sejong Sportstoto FC (South Korea)
DEBUT vs Lesotho, 10 July 2028 – WAFCON Qualifier
HONOURS 2019/2020 COSAFA Cup Champion, 2022 WAFCON Champion, 2022 WAFCON Joint Top-Goalscorer, Turkish Women’s Cup 2023 Midfielder of the Tournament
South Africa’s FIFA Women’s World Cup Group G Fixtures:
Sunday, 23 July
Sweden vs South Africa | 05h00 GMT
Friday, 28 July
Argentina vs South Africa | 00h00 GMT
Wednesday, 02 August
South Africa vs Italy | 07h00 GMT
