Brian Baloyi believes Banyana Banyana can beat Morocco hosts and reach WAFCON semi-finals

The coach of the Banyana Banyana team, Disari Ellis, believes that her players' ability to adapt to various game situations could be a decisive factor in the upcoming Women's Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) quarter-final against host nation Morocco. A spot in the 2027 Women's World Cup is also at stake.

The team, which won Wafcon 2022, reached the playoffs through a disciplined victory over Burkina Faso, demonstrating another aspect of the team usually associated with technical passing and an attacking style of play.

Now, Ellis believes that tactical flexibility could be one of South Africa's main advantages as they return to Rabat, where they achieved a famous victory over Morocco four years ago, winning their first continental title.

After qualifying from the group stage with a win over Burkina Faso, Ellis stated: 'I think we showed in this tournament that we can play differently. If they prevent you from playing your style, you can always switch to Plan B or Plan C, and I think that is very important for the team, that we can do it in the short time we have together.'

In the match against Burkina Faso, the team had to fight for the result after gaining an early lead, demonstrating resolute defense and sacrificing ball possession for a long time to secure the win. This match was not as free and open as many expected from the former champions, but Ellis was completely satisfied with the result.

She noted: 'Sometimes you don't have to play beautifully. We played defensively. We were organized. Sometimes that is what brings victories. If we keep a clean sheet, we can create chances.'

Disari Ellis particularly praised the defensive resilience of her athletes when Burkina Faso tried to equalize. The coach emphasized: 'The fighting spirit shown by the team is unmatched. When they pressed on us, tackles flew, people threw their bodies into the line. When it gets tough, they can rise up.'

Ellis believes that the team's resilience is a result of lessons learned from previous tournaments. She said: 'I think in 2018, we probably played the best football of the tournament, but we didn't win it. In 2022, we changed our style of play a bit. So we learned that we cannot always play beautifully. That is what is expected of Banyana Banyana, but we are just going step by step, day by day.'

The South African coach also thanked her technical staff for successfully identifying the most dangerous attacking zones from Burkina Faso. Ellis noted: 'The analysts were absolutely right. We knew what they were going to do. We knew where the transition would come from. We must thank the technical team. We worked very hard.'

These meticulous preparations will face the toughest test against Morocco, which is backed by a passionate home crowd and aims to avenge the loss in the 2022 final. Although returning to Rabat inevitably brings back memories of Banyana's greatest triumph, Ellis insists that history alone will not guarantee victory in another tense confrontation.

She added: 'History shows that we can do it, but that doesn't give us the right for it to happen. It is a different team with different objectives. The home crowd, all of this plays a role. Essentially, it all comes down to who wants it more. We know what is at stake. It is a place in the World Cup, and that cannot be a greater motivation.'

According to Ellis, if Banyana can combine its fighting spirit with the tactical adaptability that has become its trademark, they will give themselves every chance to repeat history in Rabat and secure a spot in the World Cup in Brazil.

The Banyana Banyana team managed to advance to the Women's Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) quarter-finals after a tense 1-0 victory over Burkina Faso. The goal scored by Thembi Kgatlana was decisive in the match, which took place during the final round of Group B at Prince Moulay Rashid Stadium in Casablanca on Tuesday evening.

Thanks to this win, the South Africans secured second place in the group, accumulating four points. Their progression was made possible by Costa Rica defeating Tanzania in their parallel match, which benefited Banyana because any other result against Tanzania could have worked against them according to the head-to-head rule, considering their loss to Twiga Stars in the first match.

Banyana was aware that their performance in the group stage was not the best. Therefore, they needed to demonstrate a higher level of play against the host team Morocco in the quarter-finals on Saturday to contend for a spot in the Wafcon semi-finals and, consequently, in the 2027 World Cup in Brazil.

Although a defeat to Morocco would not mean the end of hopes for the World Cup, the team would have had to qualify through difficult continental and intercontinental playoffs.

It has been ten years since Banyana last reached the final round of the Wafcon group stage needing a win to advance. At that time, they achieved this by securing a convincing 5-0 victory over Egypt, which boosted their confidence in repeating success in Casablanca.

Banyana did its part by beating Burkina Faso 1-0. Costa Rica also succeeded by defeating Tanzania 2-1 in the simultaneous start, allowing them to take first place in the group ahead of South Africa's second place.

An early exit for Banyana would have been painful. They were in such a precarious position due to their own mistakes: careless defense led to a loss to Tanzania, and then they drew with Costa Rica.

Despite these shortcomings, coach Desiré Ellis maintained high confidence in the team, expecting the players to give their all against Burkina Faso, while hoping for a favorable outcome in the other match.

This is exactly what happened. Kaylin Swart prevented an early threat to Banyana by intercepting a dangerous cross. This calmed the team's nerves, allowing them to control the game and advance into the final third of the field.

Captain and Player of the Day Refilo Jane, who is 34 years old, set the pace of the match, giving Isabelle Ludwig—one of the two substitutes playing against Costa Rica—enough freedom for maneuvers.

Banyana's persistence paid off when the Burkina Faso defenders could not handle the attack, allowing Thembi Kgatlana to capitalize on a pass from Fikile Magama and send the ball past goalkeeper Nina Dabilgu.

Kgatlana could have put Banyana in a dominant position with a second goal in the match, but she missed from close range after Jane organized a free kick with a well-thought-out combination.

Banyana held onto the lead until halftime. Then Ellis made substitutions in the half, bringing on Amogelang Motau and Lebokhanga Ramalephe instead of Linda Motlhalho and Noksolo Sesane, respectively.

Ellis's side almost lost control of the advantage shortly after this when referee Alin Eton awarded Burkina Faso a penalty, believing that Antonia Maponya had fouled the opponent in the box. However, after reviewing the incident on the VAR monitor, she overturned her decision.

After overcoming this danger, Banyana increased the pressure, pushing more players forward, with Kgatlana leading the attack. However, Kgatlana's hard work went unnoticed as her teammates failed to finish the attacks in the penalty area.

Ellis added even more attacking players, including Gabriela Mudali-Salgado, to support Kgatlana up front. Although Banyana could not establish a two-goal lead, it ultimately did not matter—Kgatlana's goal and Costa Rica's victory secured Banyana's place in the quarter-finals.

The head coach of the Banyana Banyana team, Disari Ellis, expresses confidence that her national team is capable of recovering and qualifying for the FIFA Women's World Cup, despite an unexpected 2-1 defeat to Tanzania in the first match of the Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) group stage.

First Match and Current Situation

On Monday in Casablanca, Tanzania secured its first victory at WAFCON, leaving Banyana with no room for error ahead of Friday's match against Côte d'Ivoire. During the game in Casablanca, South Africa held second place for a long time.

The loss means that Ellis's team has to catch up with the group leaders, as only the top four teams in the tournament guarantee themselves a spot in next year's FIFA Women's World Cup in Brazil. Despite the disappointment with the result and the performance, Ellis emphasized that attention has already shifted to the next meeting.

Strategy and Challenges

Ellis stated: 'I think everyone is disappointed with the result and the game, but we must look forward because we are still in the game.' She added that the team is still aiming for the World Cup and believes the next match is a must-win. South Africa will face Côte d'Ivoire, which is showing high confidence after a convincing 4-1 victory over Burkina Faso, rising to first place in Group B.

The coach expects a serious test from one of West Africa's traditional heavyweights. Ellis noted: 'Obviously, we talked about how important this match [against Tanzania] was. Now we are chasing in the group, so it is up to us to raise our standards and show who we really are.' She also warned about the difficulty of the opponent: 'Côte d'Ivoire will be another big challenge... another physical West African team.'

Positive Aspects and Mistakes

Despite the unsuccessful performance against Tanzania, Ellis sees encouraging signs that can be utilized before the decisive match on Friday. Banyana improved their play after the break and created enough chances, indicating their ability to change the course of the campaign.

'The positive aspects we can take from the game against Tanzania are that we created chances,' she said. She also suggested: 'I thought we played better with the ball in the second half, but we know how well we can play with the ball.'

The experienced coach admitted that defensive shortcomings ultimately proved critical, as Tanzania capitalized on South Africa's uncharacteristic errors. 'There are some weak points in defense that we can still tighten up, because we could have played better on both goals conceded.'

Team Goals for the Future

Now Ellis hopes that her experienced squad will respond to this setback as was characteristic of most of her coaching tenure. A victory over Côte d'Ivoire will not only revive Banyana's hopes of reaching the playoffs but also put the team back on track to achieve its main goal—qualifying for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup. However, any other outcome will jeopardize South Africa's campaign before the final match of Group B.