After what has been an emotional yet exciting Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) run, Banyana Banyana will contest the bronze medal match against Ghana on Friday night.
It was a typical case of so-close-yet-so-far for Banyana who were in pursuit of the new-look WAFCON trophy and to defend their crown. But alas, they lost 2-1 to Nigeria in the dying stages of their semi-final game on Tuesday.
Coach Desiree Ellis and her charges will look to end their WAFCON campaign with a podium finish when they take on the Black Queens in the third- and fourth-place match. The game will get underway at the Stade Larbi Zaouli in Morocco at 9pm (SA time).
Not all is lost
Despite the disappointment of not reaching the final, Ellis said the team still has something to play for, which is winning a medal for utility player Gabriela Salgado.
Salgado picked up a horrific injury against Nigeria, which has since been described as a fracture of the mid-shaft of her left leg by the Banyana team doctor, Dr Lindi Mokoena.
Mokoena has since confirmed that the 27-year-old Salgado has undergone a successful operation at the Mohamed VI University Hospital in Casablanca.
“There is a lot of disappointment in the team with not getting to the final, of course, but there’s still something to play for, and that is important,” Ellis said.
“It’s not just the medal, but we’re going to try and do this for Gabriela. She is going home with an injury. We will make sure that she gets a medal because it’s important that we still fight for third place, so there’s still something to play for; it’s not just a playoff match that doesn’t mean anything.
“It’s a playoff match that gets you a medal, and I think it’s going to be important how we lift ourselves up after this and then get ready for that match.”
Banyana has already beaten the Black Queens 2-0 in the WAFCON when they met in the group stages and will look to repeat that feat to claim the bronze medal.
