Banyana Banyana well on their way to defending their WAFCON title

by Nomonde Simelane

While the rest of the country focuses on the Springboks and matters such as the newly announced judicial inquiry, Desiree Ellis and Banyana Banyana are quietly putting together what could possibly be a back-to-back WAFCON title run.

After five exhausting attempts, Banyana Banyana defeated Morocco to clinch the country’s first continental title in 2022, marking the beginning of a new dawn for South Africa’s women’s football.

This year, Coach Desiree’s squad has gotten off to an impressive start in defending their title, as they recently secured their spot in the quarterfinals, where they are set to face Senegal.

As expected, the journey to the podium has been a tumultuous one. However, the team has proven to be up to the challenge of defending their title, as they finished at the top of Group C. This comes after a 2-0 win against Ghana, a 1-1 draw against Tanzania, and a convincing 4-0 win against Mali to secure their spot in the next round.

Although not given the same coverage and support as their male counterparts, the Banyana Banyana players have been led by their passion for the sport and their love for their country, and ensure to fly Mzansi’s flag high every time they step onto the pitch.

The group stages were marked with several memorable moments for Banyana Banyana, including their youngest player, Ronnel Donnelly, scoring her first international goal.

It also marked the highly anticipated return of veteran midfielder and captain Refiloe Jane, who was out for an 11-month stretch due to an injury. Goalkeeper Andile Dlamini also managed to stand out from her peers and emerged as the hero in a few games with some game-saving saves.

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