CASABLANCA, MOROCCO — Sasol Banyana Banyana Head Coach Dr Desiree Ellis says the members of the team know what they have to do to stay in the CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON 2026) currently underway in Morocco.
The South African senior women’s national team faces an uphill battle after suffering a disappointing 1-2 defeat to Tanzania in their opening match earlier this week. The reigning 2022 African Champions now find themselves in a high-stakes position as they prepare to square off against a confident Cote d’Ivoire side on Friday evening.
The upcoming fixture is widely regarded as a tournament-defining moment that could ultimately determine the fate of the South Africans. In stark contrast to Banyana Banyana’s rocky start, the West Africans head into the match with high momentum.
Cote d’Ivoire launched their tournament campaign with a dominant performance, convincing beat Burkina Faso 4-1 in their first match of this prestigious continental women’s football showpiece.
Dr Ellis remains focused on rallying her squad, emphasizing that the players are fully aware of the tactical discipline and clinical execution required to turn their fortunes around. With Group stage points at a premium, South Africa cannot afford another slip-up if they hope to defend their continental crown.
The highly anticipated showdown will take place at the Moulay Rachid Stadium in Casablanca at 19h00 SA time.
“Another difficult game ahead of us and I don’t think any of the games in the groups are easy. Not getting a result in the first game is a situation that we find ourselves in now, but we know what we’re capable of and it’s a game where we have to get the result. We’ve worked on a lot of things, there’s been a lot of positivity, the energy has been good in camp, and we’ve obviously analyzed the opponent the same as they have analyzed us,” said Dr Ellis.
“The mood is better now in camp compared to a few days ago after the match against Tanzania. We have a group of players that have come here and know what they need to do, I think we have enough experience in the group to rub off on the younger players. Everybody know what needs to be done, and you don’t need to keep reminding people because they also discuss it amongst each other as a group of what they feel they should do and we allow that because we are a team and we trust each other.”
In the clash against Tanzania, South Africa was undone by two goals either side of the half, with defender Bambanani Mbane registering her name on the scoresheet.
Banyana Banyana players remain confident and focused on fixing past mistakes ahead of their crucial Women’s Africa Cup of Nations match.
“To be honest, each game is different and how you start doesn’t determine where you will end up. Of course, we lost the first game, and we know that we lost the first game, there are so many things we could have done better, there are so many things we want to do better as a team, as individuals, as sports people. We have been in similar situations in the past in other editions of WAFCON and it didn’t determine where we ended,” said Banyana Banyana forward Thembi Kgatlana.
“We know that tomorrow is another game, it helps us to take it one game at a time and here we are facing our second opposition in the group and we still have the mandate, the chances are there for us to take, and tomorrow the team that wants it the most is going to take it. It’s not going to be about how we played the first game but about how we progress as a team in the tournament,” said Kgatlana.
The standard for the South African national women’s soccer team has risen dramatically over the last few years, making Moodaly-Salgado’s potential milestone all the more significant. Dr Ellis has often spoken about the depth of talent at her disposal, and having an experienced midfielder back in the selection pool provides a massive tactical boost. For Moodaly-Salgado, stepping onto the pitch will represent not just a personal triumph over years of physical setbacks, but a chance to firmly re-establish her presence in the heart of the Banyana engine room.
Tactically, the technical team will be keeping a close eye on the late-night kickoff between Tanzania and Burkina Faso. Group B is widely considered a highly competitive pool, where goal difference could ultimately decide who advances to the knockout stages. A commanding performance in South Africa’s opening match will be vital to setting the tone and putting pressure on their group rivals ahead of the second round of fixtures.
