Hildah Magaia, a player for the Banyana Banyana national team, has expressed hope for a significant performance at the upcoming Africa Women's Cup (WAFCON). She believes that her return to the largest continental event offers an opportunity to contribute to her country's development and assist young players going through the squad.
Magaia gained recognition in continental football in 2022 when she helped Banyana Banyana win its first title at WAFCON. This occurred after she scored a decisive brace in the final match, which ended with a 2-1 victory over hosts Morocco. This landmark moment entered history, making her the second South African player to score a winning brace in a starting continental final, similar to the historic feat of Mark Williams, who led Bafana Bafana to their first Africa Cup title in 1996.
Magaia's brilliance continued when she moved to play for a foreign club and subsequently attracted public attention at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. There, she scored in a dramatic 3-2 victory over Italy, allowing Banyana to become the first South African national team to qualify for the World Cup playoffs.
Despite rapid career growth, which allowed her to play in South Korea, Mexico, the USA, and Spain, Magaia's recent form has been hampered by injuries. As a result, she became a free agent after parting ways with Spanish club Deportivo de La Coruna. Speaking at Banyana's official farewell before WAFCON and the announcement of the final squad at Sasol Place on Friday evening, Magaia thanked them for being selected for the squad ahead of this major tournament, which is also a qualifier for the World Cup.
As one of the experienced figures in the squad, Magaia is expected to guide several young players, including 18-year-old Zoe October, who is debuting at the continental tournament. She stated that the youth will help the team because they look up to the experienced Banyana players. Magaia is confident that by participating in WAFCON, the young players will give their all and overcome any pressure.
Acknowledging her nickname 'The Breadwinner', Magaia emphasized that she bears responsibility towards the nation. She noted that it is not just her personal participation but also the representation of all the girls and people who support Banyana Banyana. The camp atmosphere is one of focused calm, and the team has included a mental coach to help players overcome psychological difficulties, which is particularly important following the tragic death of Bafana midfielder Jayden Adams.
Magaia noted that the team is currently in good shape thanks to the mental coach, who is providing great assistance. She advised the players to avoid negative comments on social media and focus on the upcoming matches.
The Banyana Banyana team is actively preparing for its return to the Wafcon tournament with the goal of winning the continental trophy, which they won in Morocco in 2022.
Before the start of Wafcon 2026 in Morocco, the team has a clear objective: to secure a spot in the top four of the competition to qualify for the FIFA Women's World Cup 2027, which will be held in Brazil. However, coach Disari Ellis admits that achieving this goal will not be easy.
Banyana Banyana will return to Morocco at the end of this month, striving to make up for lost time. In the previous tournament, the team showed a disappointing result, losing the title to their fierce rivals from Nigeria and finishing fourth overall. This result cast doubt on Ellis's future, especially after forward Jermaine Seoposenwe publicly criticized the coach for failing to protect the squad from administrative shortcomings by SAFA, particularly concerning player bonuses before major events.
Nevertheless, Ellis managed to overcome this turbulence and extend her contract. Given the lengthy negotiations regarding the new agreement, she enters the tournament with a strict mandate: to return to the Wafcon podium and secure her place in the next global event. During a press day at the AW Muller Stadium on Wednesday afternoon, Ellis emphasized that all team players are unanimously focused before departure.
Ellis stated: 'We had a meeting with the group and senior players, as we always do. They know what is at stake.' She added that she spoke with many players, and they all say the same thing: 'qualifying for the World Cup is the ultimate goal.' She also noted that past experience helps, and for other players, it will be their first time, so they need to ensure everyone is on the same page.
Ellis has formed a preliminary squad of 31 players, combining youth and experienced athletes, which will be reduced to 26 people before leaving for Morocco on Saturday. The coach expects every player to meet expectations. In 16 days, 16 countries will fight for African glory.
Speaking about the pressure, Ellis added: 'It is always hard to tell someone what to expect when you cannot predict how they will react to pressure. But we always preach the idea of how important it is to rise to a new level. Ultimately, 11 people take the field, but the entire squad must be ready to contribute.'
This trip marks Banyana's third participation in Wafcon in Morocco, following a victorious debut in 2022 and a poor performance last year. Thanks to this familiarity, Ellis hopes her team will easily adapt to the local conditions. She clarified that although they are not staying in the same locations as before (first time - Oudjda, second - Rabat, and now the base is in Casablanca), Morocco remains Morocco, just as South Africa is South Africa. The team is accustomed to the environment, knows it will be hot and conditions will be tough, but they are planning for it, so the departure is scheduled for Saturday to give them enough time to acclimatize.
Banyana desperately seeks to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup, building on their debut in 2019 and successful playoff run in 2023. However, before looking towards Brazil, they must pass the Wafcon group stage and win the decisive quarter-final match. Ellis studied their group opponents: Tanzania, Burkina Faso, and Côte d'Ivoire.
The coach analyzed the opponents, noting that Tanzania will likely want to play football, while Burkina Faso and Côte d'Ivoire are very physical teams. She added that they have played against physical teams a lot over the past year, both at Wafcon and during qualifiers. The team knows that opponents will try to use long balls, and they are training intensively to counter this. Ellis concluded that despite all the preparation, football comes down to execution on match day. She reminded them that they always said that if they kept a 'clean sheet' (did not concede a goal), they would create chances, and now they need to be clinical in front of goal when those opportunities arise.
