Banyana Banyana missed out on Olympic qualification for Tokyo 2020. With the next Games under a year away in France, the team is keen to book their place in Paris. It starts with a clash against DR Congo on Wednesday.

Banyana Banyana, as South Africa's senior women's soccer side is affectionately known, is gearing up for a crucial clash against the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The match is part of the Olympic Games qualification process for African nations. South Africa was one of seven nations who received a bye during the first round of qualification, owing to their displays at the 2022 Women's Africa Cup Nations.

Of course, Banyana Banyana won that tournament. The first time in its history that it had done so, in spite of reaching a plethora of finals prior.

They then built on that historic achievement by rewriting more history at this year's Fifa Women's World Cup.

During the New Zealand and Australia-hosted quadrennial global showpiece Banyana became the first South African senior soccer side, men or women, to qualify for the knockout stage of the World Cup. Before losing 2-0 to the Netherlands in the round of 16

However, this purple patch was preceded by the heartbreak of not qualifying for a third consecutive Games. The South Africans made their debut in 2012 at the multi-sports tournament. They qualified again in 2016.

They were eyeing a hattrick of participation via the 202o Tokyo Olympics. A...