Banyana Banyana star Thembi Kgatlana has reacted to their big result against Burkina Faso on Tuesday night, saying that they knew how important it was to win and advance to the quarterfinals of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon).
Kgatlana scored the only goal of the match in the first half, when Fikile Magama set her up with a world-class defence-splitting pass, and the speedy forward made no mistake and slid the ball through the legs of the goalkeeper to steer Banyana to a hard-fought 1-0 win.
Banyana ended Group B as runners-up with four points, behind Ivory Coast, who topped the group with seven points following their 2-1 victory over Tanzania in their final group encounter.
South Africa will now face Group A winners and hosts Morocco in the last eight, in what will be a mouthwatering encounter on Saturday.
Slow start, strong finish
Speaking in the mixed zone after the game, Kgatlana admitted that they had an uninspiring start to their Wafcon campaign, but knew how important it was to advance to the knockout stages of the competition.
“Sometimes football gives you what you get, and as a team we started really slowly, and we started getting our momentum from the last game,” Kgatlana said.
“And in the history of South African football, we always know how important it is for us to go through, and we’re not gonna just give up that easily. Got a goal, a mistake from the back, capitalised, and I think that helped us to control the game better.”
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Ahead of the clash against Morocco, the 30-year-old emphasised the importance of recovering and preparing thoroughly for their next assignment, adding that experience in the competition will be key in them ultimately achieving their goal of qualifying for the Fifa World Cup next year.
“I think right now the most important thing is to recover, make sure that we arrive in the quarterfinals fresh, and for us that’s the best thing that we can do.
“We’re in a tournament; we have the experience of being in a tournament, we’ve played Wafcon so many times, and I think we understand how it is very important for us to focus on ourselves and take one game at a time,” Kgatlana added.
The semi-finalists of the Wafcon will automatically book a spot at the 2027 Fifa Women’s World Cup in Brazil. So, Banyana must beat Morocco to qualify for the World Cup.
- Thembi Kgatlana scored the winning goal in Banyana Banyana’s 1-0 victory over Burkina Faso, securing their spot in the Wafcon quarterfinals.
- South Africa finished second in Group B with four points, behind Ivory Coast, who topped the group with seven points.
- Banyana will face Group A winners and hosts Morocco in the quarterfinals, with a crucial match on Saturday.
- Kgatlana acknowledged a slow start to the tournament but stressed the team's determination and experience in advancing through knockout stages.
- Winning the quarterfinals is vital, as Wafcon semi-finalists automatically qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
Kgatlana scored the only goal of the match in the first half, when Fikile Magama set her up with a world-class defence-splitting pass, and the speedy forward made no mistake and slid the ball through the legs of the goalkeeper to steer
“Sometimes football gives you what you get, and as a team we started really slowly, and we started getting our momentum from the last game,” Kgatlana said.
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Ahead of the clash against Morocco, the 30-year-old emphasised the importance of recovering and preparing thoroughly for their next assignment, adding that experience in the competition will be key in them ultimately achieving their goal of qualifying for the Fifa World Cup next year.
“I think right now the most important thing is to recover, make sure that we arrive in the quarterfinals fresh, and for us that's the best thing that we can do.
“We're in a tournament; we have the experience of being in a tournament, we've played Wafcon so many times, and I think we understand how it is very important for us to focus on ourselves and take one game at a time,” Kgatlana added.
