The Banyana Banyana team has maintained its hopes for participation in the 2027 World Cup after securing a convincing 2-1 victory over Nigeria. The match took place in Casablanca at the Moulai Rashid stadium on Thursday evening.
Tembie Kgatlana and Refileo Jane scored goals for Banyana Banyana. The team demonstrated cohesive play, showing significant improvement and confidence compared to the WAFCON campaign, where they were eliminated in the quarterfinals.
Both national teams entered the match under intense scrutiny following disappointing performances that denied them direct qualification for the World Cup and prevented them from reaching the WAFCON semifinals. However, Banyana responded decisively to this pressure.
Despite a tense conclusion, in which captain Refileo Jane received a second yellow card for a handball infraction, Banyana secured the win. Although Uchenna Uchebe scored a penalty late in the match, it was not enough to stop South Africa.
South Africa now moves on to the next stage of the continental playoffs alongside Ghana. They will compete against Uzbekistan, Chinese Taipei, Ecuador, and Papua New Guinea for two spots in the final round.
Success at this stage will allow them to join other nations in the final round, where they will fight for three World Cup qualification spots against two CONCACAF teams, one UEFA team, and Venezuela.
The Banyana coaching staff demonstrated improved organization. There was an evident synergy between Desire Ellis and her assistants, who gave instructions sequentially, avoiding the misunderstandings observed in previous games.
This organization was also evident within the squad. Banyana controlled the tempo of the game, while captains Refileo Jane and Rashid Adjibade battled in the midfield. The first half was evenly contested, with possession mainly occurring in the middle of the field, and few real scoring chances tested goalkeepers Kylie Swart and Chiamaka Nnadosi.
Despite strong support from Nigeria, Banyana showed commendable mental fortitude throughout the entire first half. After the break, Nigeria returned with renewed energy, displaying better fluidity, but lacked clinical sharpness. Banyana relied on spirit to regain control. When Super Falcons lost possession, Ronnel Donnelly passed to Hilde Magaia, who made a selfless cross to the unnoticed Tembie Kgatlana, allowing her to send the ball past Nnadosi.
Kgatlana's timely goal silenced Nigerian fans, occurring shortly after the substitution of Asisat Oshola. Soon after, the team faced a dangerous moment when Kylie Swart made a stunning save, deflecting a header from Uchenna Kanu, highlighting her importance to the team after recent concerns over injury.
An energetic rendition of the song 'Mbobo Vuleka' rang out from the South African supporters. This proved to be a good sign: Refileo Jane capitalized on open space in the penalty area to score the winning goal in her 155th match. Under the guidance of match player Kylie Swart, who made another crucial late save, Banyana held onto the decisive victory. The team must now focus on securing a spot in the final round of the World Cup qualifiers later this year.
