Banyana Banyana brave golden run ends in agony

History and pride were at stake as Banyana Banyana stepped onto the pitch in the penultimate round of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, looking to defend their crown in a highly anticipated semi-final clash against rivals Nigeria on Tuesday.

However, South Africa’s hopes of reaching a second consecutive WAFCON final were dashed as they suffered a narrow 2-1 defeat, their first in the last two tournaments.

The loss also meant they missed out on automatic qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, with both finalists — Nigeria and hosts Morocco — now having secured their spots. Morocco booked their place with a dramatic 4-2 penalty shootout win over Ghana following a 1-1 draw after extra time.

Banyana will now shift their focus to the third-place playoff, where they will once again face Ghana on Friday. This match will be a rematch from the group stage, where South Africa edged the Ghanaians with a hard-fought 2-0 victory. Since then, Ghana have shown considerable improvement, making this a fixture to watch.

The semi-final defeat also marks the second consecutive time Banyana have missed out on a major tournament at the hands of Nigeria. Last year, they fell short in the two-legged Olympic qualifier against the Super Falcons, losing 1-0 on aggregate and missing out on the 2024 Paris Olympics. But luckily this time with another route to World Cup qualification still available, we reflect on three key talking points from Tuesday’s encounter.

A lack of early intent proved costly

The rivalry between South Africa and Nigeria continues to intensify — not just in women’s football, but across all levels. Tuesday’s clash, with a place in the final on the line, only raised the stakes further.

Having beaten Nigeria en route to winning the 2022 title, Banyana entered the match with some history on their side. However, facing a Nigerian team yet to concede a single goal in the tournament, South Africa may have shown their opponents too much respect early on.

Nigeria dominated the opening stages and created several chances. It was no surprise when they eventually took the lead through captain Rasheedat Ajibade, who slotted home a penalty after a handball by Bambanani Mbane. Only after going behind did Banyana find their rhythm, showing more attacking intent and drawing level with a penalty of their own — converted by Linda Motlhalo.

Momentum lost after Salgado injury

Banyana looked the more likely side to score a winner in the second half, pushing forward with intent and purpose. However, the unfortunate injury to Gabriela Salgado altered the course of the match.

The seriousness of the injury had a visible impact on her teammates, disrupting their momentum and concentration. The defending champions struggled to regain their earlier rhythm, and the psychological toll of the incident seemed to linger as the match wore on.

Fatigue and missed chances proved their undoing

South Africa had endured a gruelling quarter-final against Senegal, which went all the way to penalties. The physical and mental strain from that battle may have left them slightly short against a fresher Nigerian outfit.

Despite this, Desiree Ellis’ charges had their moments — particularly in the second half — and created enough chances to win the match. Unfortunately, they were unable to capitalise, and a late goal in additional time sealed their fate, leaving them with too little time to mount a comeback.