It is fitting that a South American team will secure the first place in the football tournament of the first Olympic Games to be hosted in South America. Between 11 and 28 September, 10 women’s teams will dispute the Copa América in Ecuador, with the winner booking their spot in the competition to be held in the spiritual home of football, where the final will be played in the legendary Maracanã Stadium.

The teams will be divided into two groups for the seventh women’s Copa América. Group A comprises Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela and Uruguay, while Group B will feature Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile and Paraguay. In addition to places at the Rio 2016 Games, the tournament will also qualify teams for next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup and Pan-American Games, both of which are being staged in Canada.

If Brazil wins the Copa América, the runner-up will qualify for Rio 2016, as the host country already has a guaranteed at place.

Colombia competed at the London 2012 Games and will be keen to return to the Olympic  stage in 2016, when they would hope to improve on their performance in the British capital, where they finished bottom of a tough group. However, having seen his players’ performance since they began preparing for the Copa América on 23 July, coach Felipe Taborda thinks they are on the right path.

“We are very well-prepared and have worked hard on both attacking and defensive tactics, trying to simulate real competition conditions,” he said. “I am very pleased and at ease, because I know that the players will respond well and do everything they can to earn the places that are up for grabs.

“Venezuela have come on really well and will be our strongest adversary in the first phase, but Uruguay, Peru and Ecuador are also working hard and will also put up a good fight to qualify.”

Colombia had a tough time at the London 2012 Olympic Games (Photo: Getty Images/Stanley Chou)

Host nation Ecuador will hope to put on a good show for their fans. Under the direction of coach Vanessa Araúz, the Ecuadorians began training at the end of July and will play a series of friendly matches before the tournament starts.

“We have a big responsibility to shoulder, because in addition to representing our country, we are playing at home,” said Araúz. “It will be important to win our first match [against Peru on Thursday] to build up confidence.”

For the Chilean team, the goal is to qualify for the World Cup and Olympic Games for the first time. Goalkeeper and captain Christiane Endler, who recently signed for Chelsea in England, expressed her team’s determination.

“Chile has never disputed a world championship, and our objective is to guarantee a place in this competition,” she said. “If we succeed in winning the Copa América and qualify for the Olympic Games, it will be fantastic. Our group is committed to this objective and the results we have achieved recently show how hard we have been working.”

Chile will take confidence from the silver medal they won on home soil at the 2014 South American Games and their triumph over Canada, the London 2012 bronze medallists, in a tournament in Brazil last December.

The women’s football tournament at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games will be contested by 12 teams. In addition to Brazil, the winner of the Copa América will compete against three European teams, two from Africa, two from Asia, two from North and Central America and one from Oceania. Places will be allocated according to the results of continental qualifying competitions.