Banyana’s winning warriors did it for the fans back home
Magaia and Kgatlana hailed as heroes for clinching victory
02 August 2023 - 17:01
UPDATED 02 August 2023 - 22:00
by Marc Strydom
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Thembi Kgatlana celebrates after SA qualified for the knockout stages of the Fifa World Cup in Wellington, New Zealand, on Wednesday. She scored in the dying minutes to take Banyana Banyana to a 3-2 win over Italy. Picture: AMANDA PEROBELLI/REUTERS
Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis says she had “warriors” on the field in Wellington who came from behind to beat Italy 3-2 through Thembi Kgatlana’s injury-time winner to reach the Women’s World Cup last 16.
Banyana ended second in group G and will meet the Netherlands in the first appearance by a senior SA national team in the knockout phase of a World Cup at Sydney Football Ground on Sunday (4am).
The dangerous Kgatlana scored her third World Cup goal in the 92nd minute, but it was Hildah “Breadwinner” Magaia who was player of the match — scoring her second goal in her debut at the global showpiece tournament.
In a dramatic game of swinging fortunes Italy led through Arianna Caruso’s 11th-minute penalty but Benedetta Orsi’s own goal levelled the scores in the 32nd.
Magaia — scorer in Banyana’s last-gasp defeat to Sweden in their opener — put SA in the lead in the 67th.
Linda Motlhalo celebrates during the win against Italy. Picture: CATHERINE IVILL
Caruso headed Italy level in the 74th, then Kgatlana scored the winner in the second minute of the referee’s optional time.
“They call me ‘the Breadwinner’. Without me there’s no bread so I had to provide the bread for the nation,” Magaia said. “It means a lot, especially [as] we were so close to going home. It is an emotional one.”
Magaia scored a brace in the final against hosts Morocco when they won the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in 2022.
Ellis said Banyana, who blew a 2-0 lead in their second game against Argentina to draw 2-2, never give up fighting.
“I think there was a time on the line where we had five coaches giving directions, including the captain [Refiloe Jane, on the bench carrying an injury] — it was that tough,” the coach said.
“We knew it was going to be a tough game but we knew what we were capable of. We trained for going behind, because we have not had to come from behind [at the World Cup].
“But these girls were just fricking amazing. No-one gave us a chance. But we knew what we were capable of and fought like warriors. We said we needed to keep our best players on the pitch and we managed that by not pressing all the time; we said ‘take it in moments’.
“This is for everybody back home, people getting up early when they were all disappointed when we should have won against Argentina,” Ellis said.
“I said I wanted them to go to work smiling because we knew the game started at 9am [in SA]. This is for all the coaches in the league who have played their part, all the coaches and players who came before, everybody involved in women’s football who played their part.”
She also cited the point-blank save by goalkeeper Kaylin Swart at the end of the match.
“We even changed the formation and said ‘let’s go the three at the back and just go’. And that’s how we got it because this team never gives up.”
Netherlands, who lost against the US in the 2019 final, beat Portugal 1-0, drew 1-1 against the US and thrashed Vietnam 7-0 to top group E.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Banyana’s winning warriors did it for the fans back home
Magaia and Kgatlana hailed as heroes for clinching victory
Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis says she had “warriors” on the field in Wellington who came from behind to beat Italy 3-2 through Thembi Kgatlana’s injury-time winner to reach the Women’s World Cup last 16.
Banyana ended second in group G and will meet the Netherlands in the first appearance by a senior SA national team in the knockout phase of a World Cup at Sydney Football Ground on Sunday (4am).
The dangerous Kgatlana scored her third World Cup goal in the 92nd minute, but it was Hildah “Breadwinner” Magaia who was player of the match — scoring her second goal in her debut at the global showpiece tournament.
In a dramatic game of swinging fortunes Italy led through Arianna Caruso’s 11th-minute penalty but Benedetta Orsi’s own goal levelled the scores in the 32nd.
Magaia — scorer in Banyana’s last-gasp defeat to Sweden in their opener — put SA in the lead in the 67th.
Caruso headed Italy level in the 74th, then Kgatlana scored the winner in the second minute of the referee’s optional time.
“They call me ‘the Breadwinner’. Without me there’s no bread so I had to provide the bread for the nation,” Magaia said. “It means a lot, especially [as] we were so close to going home. It is an emotional one.”
Magaia scored a brace in the final against hosts Morocco when they won the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in 2022.
Ellis said Banyana, who blew a 2-0 lead in their second game against Argentina to draw 2-2, never give up fighting.
“I think there was a time on the line where we had five coaches giving directions, including the captain [Refiloe Jane, on the bench carrying an injury] — it was that tough,” the coach said.
“We knew it was going to be a tough game but we knew what we were capable of. We trained for going behind, because we have not had to come from behind [at the World Cup].
“But these girls were just fricking amazing. No-one gave us a chance. But we knew what we were capable of and fought like warriors. We said we needed to keep our best players on the pitch and we managed that by not pressing all the time; we said ‘take it in moments’.
“This is for everybody back home, people getting up early when they were all disappointed when we should have won against Argentina,” Ellis said.
“I said I wanted them to go to work smiling because we knew the game started at 9am [in SA]. This is for all the coaches in the league who have played their part, all the coaches and players who came before, everybody involved in women’s football who played their part.”
She also cited the point-blank save by goalkeeper Kaylin Swart at the end of the match.
“We even changed the formation and said ‘let’s go the three at the back and just go’. And that’s how we got it because this team never gives up.”
Netherlands, who lost against the US in the 2019 final, beat Portugal 1-0, drew 1-1 against the US and thrashed Vietnam 7-0 to top group E.
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