Despite keeping World Cup hopes alive, Banyana Banyana need a reset

On Thursday, 13 August, Banyana Banyana fought valiantly to beat Nigeria 2-1 and move on to the next round of a winding road to Fifa World Cup 2027 qualification. Goals from veteran forward Thembi Kgatlana and captain Refiloe Jane proved sufficient for a South African win in Casablanca, despite the Super Falcons pulling one back from the penalty spot via substitute Christy Ucheibe.

Ghana also beat Ivory Coast 2-1 to seal the other African berth in the playoff phase. South Africa and Ghana will now proceed to an intercontinental playoff tournament that will feature 10 teams vying for three spots at the World Cup, which will be hosted by Brazil in just under a year’s time.

The next phase of the World Cup playoff qualification process will be played in November 2026 and will feature Banyana Banyana and Ghana, plus two Asian nations, in addition to one country each from Oceania and South America.

Fifa playoffs next

If the South Africans finish in the top two of this mini-league format, they will advance to the final playoff round, scheduled for February 2027. There they will play a one-off knockout match for a spot in Brazil. All this is because Desiree Ellis and her charges failed to reach the semifinals of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) in order to secure direct qualification for the tournament.      

“What this tournament has taught us as players is to never take things for granted. When you enter such major tournaments, you know that things will not be given to you on a silver platter; it doesn’t matter who you are,” said Banyana captain Jane on the team’s woeful Wafcon showing.

“Teams are getting better, their players are getting better. So it’s important for us to reflect on our strengths and weaknesses, then try to get better from there,” the skipper added.

Although it is true that a number of countries on the continent have closed the gap on countries such as South Africa and Nigeria when it comes to women’s soccer, Banyana Banyana’s internal divisions did not help their cause at Wafcon 2026. The South Africans were aiming to qualify for a third-ever World Cup (after appearances in 2019 and 2023).

Ellis oversaw both World Cup qualifications, with the 2023 campaign ending in Banyana Banyana becoming the first South African senior soccer team to reach the knockout phase of a World Cup. Bafana Bafana followed with their own knockout round appearance at the 2026 World Cup. Ellis also orchestrated South Africa’s sole Wafcon success at the 2022 edition. 

“It has been a long, hard couple of weeks, and the bodies have taken a toll,” said Ellis after the victory against Nigeria, as quoted by The Citizen.

“It is a good time to regroup. We have an [Olympic Games] qualifier in October and the [Hollywoodbets Super League] has only just started. That is probably a reason why we are where we are as a team,” Ellis added.

Change is needed

Indeed, the Super League (which is the top-tier of South African soccer and remains semi-professional) only kicked off in late May, before it had to be halted for Wafcon preparations just a few weeks after that start.  

Beyond the issues that continue to plague a number of African countries when it comes to women’s soccer, factionalism within the Banyana Banyana setup did little to aid the team’s direct World Cup qualification ambitions. While a section of the team backs Ellis, another supports her long-time assistant coach Thinasonke Mbuli. Then there are those caught in the middle of this internal division. 

What Banyana’s Wafcon performances have demonstrated is that a major reset is needed within the team. For the side to progress to the next level of competitiveness, new leadership voices are needed.

After years of toiling and switching coaches, Bafana Bafana brought in Hugo Broos. He was not part of previous politics in the team and did things his own way from the beginning, dismantling the existing team and selecting players he felt would advance his philosophy. He did away with players who were in the national team because of their popularity or experience. 

The South African Football Association should take a similar approach with Banyana Banyana, after they nailed the Broos appointment. Under the current conditions, the team will always underperform. DM