Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis asserts that their impending quarterfinal encounter against Senegal in the 2024 CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) on Saturday presents a distinct challenge. She made these remarks following South Africa’s commanding 4-0 victory over Mali on Monday night (14 July) at the Honneur Stadium in Oujda, Morocco.
This match marked the African Champions’ final group stage fixture, having previously secured a 2-0 triumph over Ghana in their opening game, followed by a 1-1 draw against Tanzania. Consequently, Banyana Banyana topped Group C with seven points, leaving Ghana in second place, three points behind, while Mali fell to third due to an inferior goal difference. Tanzania was subsequently eliminated.
The African Champions are set to confront Senegal in the quarterfinals on Saturday (19 July) at the same venue in Oujda, with kick-off scheduled for 21h00 South African time (20h00 local time in Morocco).
“We have a few days to thoroughly analyze them, but they have demonstrated, within a challenging group, their capacity to compete with the best. We must be at our absolute peak to secure a favorable outcome, as it is unlikely to be straightforward. I don’t believe any match has been easy at this WAFCON; it reflects the improvement of teams across the continent—every FIFA International window sees nations competing,” remarked Ellis.
“This WAFCON is not merely a one-sided tournament where outcomes can be predicted. The matches are exceedingly close, and often hinge on a singular moment of brilliance or folly, or even a lapse in concentration, and that can alter the course of the game. This illustrates the competitiveness of the fixtures, so we must elevate our performance against Senegal. They have demonstrated their prowess in tightly contested matches against Zambia and Morocco, but tonight was a definitive statement of our capabilities, and we must strive to exceed that.”
Banyana Banyana entered the match against Mali needing only a draw to maintain their position at the top of the group, yet they overwhelmed the West Africans.
Ellis has now led Banyana Banyana to finish at the pinnacle of the group in three consecutive tournaments—2018, 2022, and 2024.
Two goals on either side of halftime were sufficient for the South Africans to advance to their next challenge. Co-captains Lebohang Ramalepe and Refiloe Jane secured the lead in the first half, while Hilda Magaia and substitute Ronnel Donnelly added to the tally after the break.
The quartet each netted their inaugural goals of the tournament, with Donnelly making a notable entrance off the bench to score her first-ever goal for Banyana Banyana.
The defending champions have now triumphed over Mali in all three of their encounters in a WAFCON, amassing a total of 10 goals without conceding.
“We recognized from the two previous matches that we are superior, and we diligently focused on areas for improvement. Progress does not always occur overnight, but today served as a declaration of intent, resilience, and a testament to our identity. We showcased the quality we possess, yet we must harness this to propel ourselves forward, as regardless of the outcome, we are perpetually striving for enhancement,” Ellis added.
The African Champions have now found the net in all of their last nine matches in the WAFCON.
In other quarterfinal matchups, Mali will travel to Rabat to face hosts Morocco (Friday, 18 July), while on the same day in Casablanca, Nigeria will confront Zambia—the victor of this match will compete against the winner between South Africa and Senegal.
Algeria and Ghana will square off in Berkane on Saturday.
