South African WNT player, Thembi Kgatlana, has expressed her dissatisfaction with the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) following their recent 1-0 defeat against the Super Falcons in the Olympic Games qualifier held at the MKO Abiola National Stadium.

The Super Falcons secured a crucial 1-0 home victory over Banyana Banyana, as both teams vie for a spot in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

With the return leg scheduled for Tuesday, the South African team is determined to overturn the deficit.

Kgatlana criticized the NFF for the state of the playing surface at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium.

She argued that the uncut grass hindered their gameplay, particularly affecting their ability to maintain ball possession and execute their passing game effectively.

In an interview with SABC News, Kgatlana remarked, “The fact that they didn’t cut the grass and they know that we’re a team that moves the ball… When we get home with better facilities, we know that the pitch will favor us, the same way the pitch favored them.”

She further elaborated that the unfavorable pitch conditions played into Nigeria’s strengths and impacted the flow of their game.

“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 with better facilities.”

Looking ahead to the return leg at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria, Kgatlana remains optimistic.