Banyana coach admits WAFCON campaign did not go as planned – SABC News – Breaking news, special reports, world, business, sport coverage of all South African current events. Africa’s news leader.
Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis admits that this year’s Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco did not go as planned.
The 2022 AFCON champions failed to reach the semi-finals of this year’s tournament and qualify for next year’s FIFA World Cup in Brazil.
Banyana Banyana will now have to do it the hard way and participate in the intercontinental playoffs starting in November.
The bulk of the team returned to the country yesterday morning.
Coach Ellis, her support staff, and a handful of players are the last to arrive back from Morocco today.
Ellis says they embrace the second opportunity of qualifying for their third FIFA World Cup in a row.
“Yes, it didn’t happen, but we are still in it. There’s a tough qualifying phase that we have to go through, but it gives us another opportunity to go through that phase and gives us a chance of still going to the World Cup because that was the main objective,” says Ellis.
The dream is still alive… pic.twitter.com/2nTRcdXjpz
— Sasol Banyana Banyana (@Banyana_Banyana) August 13, 2026
The first phase of qualifiers in November will feature two teams from the African continent, Banyana Banyana and Ghana, two from Asia, and one from Oceania and South America. But rules stipulate that two teams from the same confederation cannot play against each other.
Ellis admits that it will not be a walk in the park in the intercontinental playoffs.
“Unfortunately it’s not the way we planned it; things sometimes don’t go according to how you plan them. I think the game against Morocco was very tight. I think it could have gone either way; they had chances, we had chances, and it didn’t happen for us. I think we got better as it went on, and obviously the game against the familiar team Nigeria was a tough game, but I think we really played well in that game to make sure that we get this chance to go through the qualifying phase. We just have to plan really well; the draw is on Thursday. We will know who we will be playing and where we are playing, and we have to make sure we are ready,” says Ellis.