South Africa head coach Desiree Ellis has called on Banyana Banyana to remain focused and adequately prepared as they face Nigeria’s Super Falcons in a crucial 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) play-in encounter.
South Africa’s hopes of retaining the continental title suffered a setback after they were knocked out by hosts Morocco, who secured a 2-1 victory in their quarter-final encounter on Saturday.
Nigeria also exited the tournament’s title race after falling to a narrow 1-0 defeat against Cameroon in a tightly contested quarter-final at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium in Casablanca on Sunday night.
The two African giants will now meet at the Moulay Rachid Stadium in Casablanca on Thursday, with the winner earning a place in the inter-confederation play-offs for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
The inter-confederation play-offs, scheduled for November and December 2026, will feature 10 teams competing for three World Cup tickets.
Ellis admitted that South Africa would have preferred a different route but said her side must quickly regroup and make the most of the opportunity presented by the play-in match.
“We’re not out of it. We didn’t want to go down that route, but it’s been thrown at us,” Ellis said, according to ESPN.
“We need to get ready for the next game mentally, get ready for it physically, we need to recover quickly.”
