Head coach of the South African women national team, Desiree Ellis believes her outfit defeat to Nigeria in the semifinals of the 2024 Women’s African Cup of Nations (WAFCON) was a result of Gabriela Salgado’s injury.
The Banyana Banyana fell short to the Super Falcons following 2-1 in the high-stale clash held in Casablanca on Tuesday.
Rasheedat Ajibade gave the West African Nation a first-half lead before Linda Motlhalo responded after the break.
However, Michelle Alozie won it late for her team with a fortuitous long-range strike to help Nigeria set up a final with the hosts, who beat Ghana in a second game.
However, in the 84th minute, a horrendous injury to Gabriela Salgado changed the tide, with South Africa players distraught.
However, coach Desiree Ellis admitted that the injury incident played a major role in the outcome in their defeat.
“The injury affected us, you could see how emotional the players were. I realized it was serious because I saw how they ran when they saw her. I think it impacted them in the final minutes, and they couldn’t recover. Unfortunately, that’s part of the game,” Ellis stated.
South Africa will now shift their attention to the third place match against West African outfit, Ghana.
