The coach of the Banyana Banyana team, Desirée Ellis, expressed pride that through a partnership with sanitary pad manufacturer Stayfree, they have managed to reduce the poverty issue related to menstrual hygiene products in South African schools. The team's fighting spirit continues to draw attention to the problem affecting millions of young girls in South African schools ahead of the 19th edition of the South African Sports Awards.
The South African women's national football team aims to secure its place in the 2027 Women's World Cup through the playoffs. This moment came after the team lost to Morocco 2-1 in the WAFCON 2026 quarter-finals, which eliminated their chances for automatic qualification to the upcoming tournament in Brazil. Currently, Morocco, Algeria, Cameroon, and Malawi have already secured direct spots in the tournament.
Despite this disappointing result, South Africa retains the possibility of advancing to the tournament through the intercontinental playoff, having demonstrated energetic play at WAFCON last week. Speaking about the significance of this event beyond the pitch, Banyana's coach, Desirée Ellis, praised her team for the eight goals scored since June, which resulted in 8,000 sanitary pads for various schools and charities across the country.
As part of the partnership with pad manufacturer Stayfree, for every goal scored by the team at the Women's Africa Cup of Football this year, sponsor Stayfree committed to providing 1,000 packs of sanitary pads for schoolgirls across Mzansi. Thus, the eight goals ensured the delivery of 8,000 packs to classrooms and changing rooms in settlements and villages nationwide.
It all started in June when Linda Motlhalo scored a header against Japan, winning 1-0 in Osaka—the first time an African team managed to defeat Asian giants. This was followed by a tense campaign at WAFCON: a draw with Comoros, a nerve-wracking victory over Burkina Faso, disappointment from the match against hosts Morocco in the quarter-finals, and then redemption.
On Thursday, Banyana defeated Super Falcons Nigeria 2-1 in the decisive second-chance playoff in Casablanca. Thembi Kgatlana scored in the 56th minute, and Refilele Jane doubled the lead with an elegant deflection in the 77th minute.
Ellis recently emphasized that this victory means more than just three points. She stated: 'This is not just sponsorship. We are no longer playing only for wins. Every goal can help a young girl who might otherwise miss school or sports due to lack of access to sanitary pads.'
Kelly Johnson from Kenvue, who oversees the partnership with Stayfree, noted that the victory over Nigeria proves that the team's path to the World Cup is far from over. Johnson stated: 'Their journey at WAFCON could have ended, but their journey to the World Cup certainly continues—and their 2-1 victory over Nigeria is a clear indicator of that.'
Thanks to this, Banyana now qualifies for the FIFA World Cup Intercontinental Playoff Tournament, which begins in November, bringing the team closer to next year's World Cup in Brazil. Furthermore, Deputy Minister Piés Mabe highly praised the team after the victory over Nigeria. Mabe noted: 'Banyana Banyana continues to inspire young girls across our country to believe that they too can compete on the greatest world stages. As a government, we remain committed to creating more opportunities for women and girls to participate, develop, and succeed in sports.'