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The dreams of the Banyana Banyana team for the 2027 World Cup faced serious difficulties after they were defeated by Morocco in the Wafcon quarterfinals. In the match held on Saturday evening, Banyana Banyana lost to Morocco with a score of 2:1. Tembie Kgatlana scored a consolation goal.

The team's poor performance at the current Wafcon means they now have to go through the playoffs to reach the final in Brazil next year, as they could not advance past the quarterfinal stage.

The Banyana team lost to the hosts Morocco in the final stage of the continental tournament at the lively Moulay El Hassan stadium on Saturday evening. Tembie Kgatlana's late goal was insufficient to compensate for goals from Sakina Ouzraoui and Hanane Ait El Hadj.

The celebration of the 'Atlas Lionesses' will continue for a long time, possibly throughout the tournament, as they continue their ascent that allowed them to qualify for the World Cup for the second consecutive time after their debut in 2023.

The defeat in Rabat was an undesirable outcome, as Banyana Banyana is eliminated from WAFCON 2026 with a score of 2:1 against Morocco. Now the team's attention has shifted to the playoff match on Thursday, which will determine whether they represent the continent in the intercontinental playoff round for a spot in the third consecutive World Cup in Brazil. This will be a tense wait with high stakes.

The team's difficulties were evident in the group stage, but they became particularly noticeable in Rabat. The team looked not only lacking support from the stands, where a red-green crowd dominated, but also divided on the field, especially on the bench.

Disarey Ellis, who became the longest-serving coach in the tournament, had never previously left before the semi-finals in her four previous appearances. However, on Saturday evening, she looked dejected, struggling with both the lack of fluidity in her team's play and disagreements within her staff.

Throughout most of the first half, fitness coach Ridha Elli and goalkeeper coach Lucky Shiburi gave unusually loud instructions, indicating a breakdown in normal team communication. In contrast, Ellis's counterpart, Jorge Wilde, instilled confidence. He moved calmly along the sideline, allowing his team to dictate the game and forcing Banyana to 'chase shadows' in the dark sky of Rabat.

Despite early pressure from the hosts, they initially did not cause problems for Kaylin Swart in goal. However, the intensity of the Moroccan press forced Banyana to constantly retreat, leaving Tembie Kgatlana isolated up front. Her efforts were in vain, as she lacked support: teammates often lagged with the ball or ceded possession to Morocco's organized defense.

The stadium erupted shortly after half-hour when Hanane Ait El Hadj delivered a precise cross that found the unnoticed Sakina Ouzraoui, who cleverly flicked the ball over the unprepared Swart.

During halftime, the Banyana players gathered in a circle before heading into the tunnel, while visibly worried Ellis remained on the sidelines, carrying her backpack, ironically suggesting her readiness to leave home.

Ellis's detachment from the team's momentum became apparent after the restart. A shot by Noksolo Sesane at Gizlan Chebbak in the penalty area prompted referee Josephine Vangiku to reluctantly award a penalty. Ait El Hadj took responsibility and powerfully struck it past Swart, doubling the lead.

The significant deficit, paradoxically, boosted Banyana's morale, as they began to control the ball more and attack purposefully. Their persistence was rewarded when Kgatlana shot past Hadija Er-Ramichi following a well-executed cross from Karabo Dlammini. Although the celebrations were initially interrupted by an offside call, a lengthy VAR review ultimately confirmed the goal.

As Banyana's confidence grew, they almost managed to equalize when Robyn Mudali-Salgado forced Er-Ramichi into a brilliant diagonal save. Ultimately, the comeback was unsuccessful. Banyana now faces a difficult playoff path to reach Brazil—a period that will undoubtedly require a thorough analysis of the team's current structure and performance.

The Springboks secured a tough victory over Argentina with a score of 17:10 in Buenos Aires on Saturday evening. This win allowed them to maintain their unbeaten streak in 2026, despite a late push from their opponents.

The world champions struggled to contain the Pumas for a significant portion of the match. Considering the upcoming major rugby rivalry against the All Blacks, coach Rassie Erasmus and his staff have serious work ahead of them. An additional negative point was the injury to captain Siya Kolisi.

Springboks' performance assessment in Buenos Aires

Assessments were conducted on the performances of the Springboks players in Buenos Aires. Apelele Fassie received a rating of 4 because his kicking game was not ideal, and the fullback also found himself in an unfavorable one-on-one tackle situation, although he did draw the last defender during the first half.

Edwill van der Merwe received a rating of 6; he energetically chased several balls, but they were out of reach, yet he demonstrated his speed to bypass the defense on the sideline and score a try. Kanaan Moody also received a rating of 6, noted for his excellent handling when setting up Van der Merwe's tries. He was relatively quiet at the start of the game but then became active and earned an important penalty.

Andre Esterhuizen received a rating of 6, but conceded a dropped pass in a good attacking position, after which he fell on Kolisi, leading to his injury. Nevertheless, he showed a strong burst and cleared the ball during the first half.

Ethan Hooker received a rating of 6; the winger constantly looked for attacking opportunities, but unlike Van der Merwe, he did not always succeed; nevertheless, his play was satisfactory due to several good runs.

Sasha Feinberg-Mngomezulu received a rating of 5, as he failed to launch the 'Wings' attack and made several unsuccessful kicks, leading to loss of possession. However, his defense as a playmaker was strong.

Cobus Reinach received a rating of 5; he was not the most accurate in the scrum work, and the referee asked him several times to remain calm. His kicks also let the team down several times.

Backline movements

Cameron Hanekom received a rating of 7, making a high tackle that brought the first three points to Argentina, but after that, he demonstrated strong defense. He also advanced with slight effort, gaining meters for the 'Boks'. Elrig Lou received a rating of 6; he missed an early tackle and lost the ball, but his physical strength in intense clashes was commendable.

Siya Kolisi received a rating of 4; he made strong runs in his first match of the year, but left the field after 24 minutes due to a hamstring injury. Lud de Jager received a rating of 5; he was physically strong but had not yet reached the desired level. He missed several initial tackles and tackles, but showed development. Eben Etzebeth received a rating of 6; unfortunately, he dropped the ball after being tackled without hands near the lineout. He used his strength in contact and broke through the ball.

Not what the fans wanted to see

Thomas du Toit received a rating of 5; he did not achieve the desired results in the scrums for most of the time and struggled on his side, although he made some strong runs and tackles. Johan Grobbelaar received a rating of 5; he lost an important lineout and did not have the greatest impact in the battle for the ball. Nevertheless, he demonstrated some work rate and defensive work. Boan Winter received a rating of 5; he won the first penalty for the 'Boks' after overcoming his opponent and was active in defense.

Substitutions:

Jan-Hendrik Vessels received a rating of 5; his scrum work was excellent, and he made several good tackles. Gerhard Steenkamp received a rating of 7; he helped change the course of the scrum with several strong pushes. Zachary Porten received a rating of 7; his footwork technique and dominance during the scrum were assessed. Ben-Jason Dixon received a rating of 5; he brought the necessary power for the 'Boks' runs, although the penalty was unjustified. Cobus Wiese received a rating of 7; he follows in his brother Jasper's footsteps with his physical strength and changed the course of the game with his runs. Marco van Staden replaced Kolisi and was physically active in defense and in runs. Morne van den Berg received a rating of 4; his kicks let the team down several times. Handre Pollard received a rating of 5; he came to stabilize the game with his composure and made good kicks, helping the 'Boks' move forward.

In a friendly rugby match, the South African Springboks played against Argentina at the José Amalfitani Stadium in Buenos Aires. Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus predicted that the game would be a tense battle, and his prediction proved correct.

Despite the Springboks team appearing unbalanced, they ultimately won with a score of 17-10, managing to succeed only after having to fight for every ball in the final minutes.

However, this match, which exposed the vulnerability of the world champions, proved to be valuable experience ahead of the series against Albacore, as it served as a serious reminder that the Springboks can make mistakes when not in top form. The main goal of the game was to bring several injured players back into the squad, but serious concern arose when captain Siya Kolisi left the field after 15 minutes because, apparently, the hamstring injury that previously kept him out of the World Cup recurred.

International Rugby

The start of the match was unsuccessful for the Springboks, especially for Cameron Hanekom. Immediately after the starting whistle, Hanekom received a warning for grabbing a Puma player by the neck; he managed to avoid a yellow card, but Santiago Carreras punished this error by scoring three points within the first two minutes.

In the sixth minute, Pablo Mater was caught offside, and Sasha Feinberg-Mngomezulu equalized, but the recent clumsiness of the Springboks continued to show. A short while later, Argentine flanker Benjamin Grondon managed to break through after an out-of-side play deep in the South African defense zone and scored, allowing the Pumas to take the lead with a score of 10-3 just 13 minutes in.

The last thing the Springboks needed was to allow the motivated home team to gain momentum in front of a passionate crowd in Buenos Aires. In the 15th minute, the Springboks won a penalty kick, and the visitors held possession in the Pumas' zone for a long time, but then lost possession due to an error during the out-of-side play.

The situation was worsened by Kolisi leaving the field, head down. Frankly, the Springboks' performance in the first half was sluggish—at times almost uninteresting due to a string of errors.

Nevertheless, they are world champions for a reason. At the end of the first half, Edwill van der Merwe found space on the right wing and, using almost the first contact with the ball, ran towards the goal, scoring a very important try. The goal was secured by a well-executed play, during which Kanaane Mudie freed Afelele FASSI at the right moment, allowing the fullback to send Van der Merwe forward. Feinberg-Mngomezulu converted the try, bringing the score to 10-10 at halftime.

Hanekom, who made errors at the beginning of the match, became the best player for the Springboks by this point. The start of the second half did not bring significant improvement in terms of composure, and the Springboks were able to hold their position because Carreras' penalty kick hit the post and bounced back into play, which ultimately allowed the visitors to stay in the game.

After this, the Springboks increased the tempo, and sustained pressure led to two potential tries that were sent for review by the TMO, although neither was awarded. When there were three quarters left in the match, the teams continued to hold at 10-10.

The game changed after the entry of Andre Pollard. This experienced wing-half immediately stabilized the Springboks, restoring structure and control that were lacking. Feinberg-Mngomezulu struggled to dominate the game. Then came the decisive moment. Pollard made an accurate pass into the Argentine defense zone, and from the subsequent out-of-side play, the Springboks passed the ball to Hanekom, who broke through and scored the decisive try. Pollard converted it, giving the Springboks a 17-10 lead.

The Pumas threw all their strength at the guests in the final minutes, but the Springboks' defense held up under immense pressure, securing a deserved victory. Although it was not a performance of highlight reels for the national team, perhaps that is why it was so valuable. The Springboks were not in form, prone to errors, and sometimes looked uncomfortable, but they found a way to win in a hostile environment. Considering the upcoming meeting with Albacore, they understand that they will have to perform significantly better.