Banyana coach urges win over Ghana in Wafcon opener

Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis is confident all her players are now focused on defending the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) in Morocco, where a tournament victory will double the $500,000 (R8.8m) SA received in 2022. 

Speaking from Morocco, Ellis said her defending champions want to ensure they set the tone for the tournament by winning their first match against Ghana at the Honor Stadium in Oujda on Monday (8pm SA time). 

Mali and Tanzania complete the four teams in Banyana’s group at the 12-team tournament that has been won by Nigeria nine times, Equatorial Guinea twice and SA once.

There were fears the Banyana players would not be in a good frame of mind by the time they face Ghana after they staged a protest just after arriving in Morocco last week, complaining about the nonpayment of their bonuses from previous camps.

Ellis said  all has been resolved the and players’ sole focus now is on the match against the Black Queens, who have finish runners-up three times (in 1998, 2002 and 2006) in the previous 12 tournaments.

“The mood is really good and we’re focused on the task ahead, which is the first match against Ghana,” Ellis said. “Our training sessions have gone well along with the opposition analysis we have done.

“Ghana have been a powerhouse of women’s football. After missing the 2022 edition they are back with a new coach [Swede Kim Björkegren] who has been working with them for a while now. They have shown with their recent games they are back to challenge.”

The Banyana coach, who steered Banyana to the title in 2022, also in Morocco, said it is always important to win the first game at a Wafcon.

“Of course, getting a positive result is always key and it sets the tone for the rest of the tournament as we’ve seen with our good starts in 2018 and 2022.”

There were concerns about the fitness of forward Hildah Magaia, who will be one of the players in attack for Banyana in the absence of star striker Thembi Kgatlana, who is not with Banyana in Morocco after her request to be excused.

Magaia is expected to be paired with hugely experienced Jermaine Seoposenwe up front.  Ellis hopes by the time Banyana meet Ghana, Magaia, who scored a brace when Banyana beat Morocco 2-1 in the 2022 final, will be fit to start. 

“Hildah has improved with every training session and we still have a few more sessions before the Ghana game. Otherwise, we have no concerns, and we have a few trainings before we start our campaign,” Ellis said.

The 2025 Wafcon started with hosts Morocco being held to a 2-2 draw by Zambia in Rabat on Saturday night.