South Africa vs Nigeria: They didn’t cut the grass – Banyana Banyana star slams NFF over MKO Stadium

Banyana Banyana star, Thembi Kgatlana, has slammed the Nigerian Football Federation following their 1-0 defeat at MKO Abiola National Stadium last week.

The Super Falcons managed a 1-0 home win over the South Africans, who are aiming to add to their recent successes by qualifying for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

The return leg comes up on Tuesday and South Africa would do everything to avoid conceding the first goal at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria to stand a chance.

Kgatlana believes the NFF failed to prepare the playing surface at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, adding that this hindered them when it came to keeping the ball on the ground in the first leg.

“The fact that they didn’t cut the grass and they know that we’re a team that moves the ball,” Kgatlana said to SABC News.

“That’s why I said in an earlier question that when we get home with better facilities, we know that the pitch will favour us, the same way the pitch favoured them.

“They are not a team that plays the ball, they are a team that wants to run behind and that’s exactly what they do.

“You drop the ball, it doesn’t bounce, it just lands on top so that’s what they want to do and I think it worked for them but we also have an advantage when we go home to play wit better facilities.”