Banyana Banyana defender speaks on the need for effort ahead of the match against Côte d'Ivoire at the Women's Africa Cup

The South African team Banyana Banyana is preparing for an important match against Côte d'Ivoire in the second round of Group B of the WAFCON 2026 tournament, which will take place in Morocco on Friday. Gaining points in this encounter is critically important for maintaining qualification chances.

Context and current group standing

The South African national team enters the game under pressure following an unexpected 2-1 defeat to Tanzania in the first match. This result demands an immediate reaction from the team. Currently, Banyana occupies third place in Group B, ahead of Burkina Faso, which is in last place after a 4-1 loss to Côte d'Ivoire in the first round.

Tactical objectives for the team

Despite the tight standings, every point holds immense value for progression. For the team, Diseri Ellis' priority will be correcting the mistakes shown in the debut match. The biggest concern is attacking efficiency: Banyana created enough chances against Tanzania, but lacked the composure to convert them.

Against Côte d'Ivoire, which demonstrated attacking potential by scoring four goals in the first match, South Africa cannot afford to miss clear opportunities. It is necessary to improve the interaction and combination play between Tembi Kgatlana, Hilda Magai, and the midfield. The team requires greater stability in creating quality goal-scoring chances, not just reliance on individual skill.

Defensive and midfield zones

In defense, South Africa also needs to increase discipline upon losing possession. Tanzania exploited spaces during transitions, and Côte d'Ivoire's confident attacking play means such shortcomings could lead to serious losses. The balance between advancing players forward and maintaining defensive coverage will be a key tactical task for Ellis. The battle in the midfield may also be a decisive factor.

Significance of the upcoming match

Banyana must achieve greater ball control while simultaneously preventing Côte d'Ivoire from dictating the pace of the game. Experience remains one of South Africa's main strengths, and players like Kgatlana, Magai, and captain Refilow Jane are expected to lead at this critical moment of the tournament. As one of Africa's most stable women's football nations, Banyana intends to show that the first defeat was merely a temporary setback.

Although Côte d'Ivoire presents a tougher challenge, the Friday match gives South Africa a chance to make a statement and restore confidence in the squad. A win would allow Banyana to return to a strong position in Group B, whereas another loss would put the team in a difficult final match scenario for the group stage. Since they still have to play Burkina Faso in the last round of the group, the team knows that qualification remains in their hands, but a positive result against Côte d'Ivoire makes this meeting possibly the most important in the group stage.

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.

Goals for the upcoming tournament

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.

Previous experience and pressure

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.

Contract confirmation and strategy

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.

Squad and match preparation

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.'

Familiarization with Moroccan conditions

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.

Group opponents analysis

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.