Sports Desk Reporter
Sasol Banyana Banyana moved within one win of qualifying for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup after beating Burkina Faso 1-0 last night.
The victory secured their place in the quarterfinals of the CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
Thembi Kgatlana scored the only goal of the match in the first half. South Africa then survived a late Burkina Faso fightback to finish second in Group B.
The defending champions finished second in the group on four points. Ivory Coast claimed top spot after beating Tanzania 2-1, a result that also confirmed Banyana Banyana’s place in the knockout rounds.
The win completed an impressive recovery for the South Africans. They lost their opening match to Tanzania before drawing with Ivory Coast.
Last night’s victory kept their title defence alive. It also moved them a step closer to another appearance at the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Head coach Desiree Ellis said her side made the match more difficult than it needed to be after taking an early lead.
“We scored early and stopped playing. You’ve got to give credit to the players though. It wasn’t pretty, and sometimes it doesn’t have to be pretty. Defensively we were organised and I think we had one or two chances that could have put the game to bed, but I thought the team played very well,” she said.
Ellis said the team’s response after a difficult start to the tournament showed its character.
“It’s not how you start, but how you finish. The fightback shows what this team is made of and we keep working on being better. Now the games are coming thick and fast. There’s no margin for error. We have also shown that we can grind out results,” she said.
Kgatlana was named Player of the Match after scoring the winner. Captain Refiloe Jane celebrated her birthday, while Hildah Magaia and Gabriela Salgado each earned their 50th cap for South Africa.
Banyana Banyana travel to Rabat today ahead of Saturday’s quarterfinal against hosts Morocco’s women’s national football team. Victory will secure a place in the WAFCON semi-finals and book South Africa’s place at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.