BATA, Equatorial Guinea -- In a must-win Olympic qualifier held on the road against Equatorial Guinea at the Estadio de Bata, South Africa's Jermaine Seoposenwe lifted Banyana Banyana to a thrilling 1-0 victory Sunday, securing the team's bid to the 2016 Olympic Games, which will be held Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
 
Seoposenwe, who is currently a junior forward at Samford University, tallied South Africa's game-winning goal in the 54th minute to silence the home crowd and lift Banyana Banyana to its decisive 1-0 lead. South Africa then successfully protected its lead to eventually register a 1-0 aggregate win and secure a place in next year's Olympic Games.
 
In her second season as a member of Samford's first-place squad in the Southern Conference, Seoposenwe is ranked No. 3 in the nation in both assists (10) and assists per match (0.71). Last season, the Bulldogs' dynamic offensive factor, set the school's single-season record in assists with 13.
 
Both Equatorial Guinea and South Africa knew that a victory Sunday would see the winner qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
 
The first-leg between the two nations ended in a goalless stalemate at the Makhulong Stadium a fortnight ago. The visitors came close to taking the lead six minutes into the game after Amanda Dlamini broke free, only to place his effort wide.

In the 15th minute, Guinea captain Genoveva Anonma came close to breaking the deadlock from close range, but Banyana's inspirational captain Janaine van Wyk did well to stop the attacker from shooting.

Nzalang Nacional were dominating the ball possession, and pressing Banyana Banyana in search of the opening goal.

In the 32nd minute, Genoveva, who was terrorizing the Banyana defense, unleashed a shot which was well-saved by goalkeeper Roxanne Barker.
 
Banyana played much better in the second-half as they launched several attacks. Refiloe Jane's effort in the 52nd minute missed the target after a good build-up from the right-hand side.
 
Two minutes later, Seoposenwe hit the back of the net with a good finish to secure South Africa's victory.
 
Seoposenwe will be returning to Birmingham, Alabama, this week as she and her Samford (12-4, 7-0 SoCon) squad travel to Johnson City, Tennessee, for a huge SoCon showdown at second-place ETSU on Friday at 6 p.m. (CDT). The matchup is slated to be held at ETSU's Summer-Taylor Stadium.
 
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