WAFCON 2026: ‘Final before the final’ – Desiree Ellis issues must-win warning after Tanzania defeat

Banyana Banyana head coach Desiree Ellis has warned her players that there is no room for further slip-ups after South Africa suffered a damaging 2-1 defeat to Tanzania in their opening Group B match at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

South Africa entered the tournament among the favourites after years of steady progress on the continent, but their campaign suffered an unexpected setback at the Moulay Rachid Stadium in Casablanca as Tanzania produced one of the biggest shocks of the competition’s opening round.

Despite dominating possession and creating several opportunities, Banyana Banyana were punished for failing to convert their chances, with the Taifa Queens making the most of their limited opportunities to secure all three points.

The defeat leaves South Africa under immediate pressure, with Ellis insisting their remaining group matches against Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso have become crucial battles.

“I felt that all three games were going to be difficult, but a good start would have given us the momentum and now the next match becomes a final before the final, it’s a must-win, and also the game after that,” Ellis said.

“We still have it in us, it wasn’t a good day at the office, we can be better than that. We cannot drop any more points and with only two teams progressing to the next round, we have to put our best foot forward. We knew that we had it in us to get positive results, and for that we are disappointed.”

Tanzania punish wasteful South Africa

The result was a major surprise considering the gap between the two teams in the FIFA rankings.

South Africa are the second-highest-ranked African nation, while Tanzania entered the tournament ranked 18th on the continent and 122nd globally.

However, those rankings counted for little as Tanzania showed greater efficiency in front of goal.

Diana Msewa opened the scoring for the Taifa Queens in the 31st minute, capitalising on their first major opportunity of the match.

Banyana Banyana responded before the break, with defender Bambanani Mbane restoring parity during added time in the first half to send the teams into the interval level.

Ellis attempted to change the momentum after the restart by introducing Nthabiseng Majiya, Gabriela Moodaly-Salgado, Amogelang Motau, Ronnel Donnely and Isabella Ludwig.

The substitutions saw Robyn Moodaly-Salgado, Linda Motlhalo, Hildah Magaia, Thembi Kgatlana and Noxolo Cesane leave the pitch as South Africa searched for a winning goal.

But it was Tanzania who delivered the decisive blow late in the match, scoring with fewer than five minutes remaining to regain the lead.

South Africa pushed forward in search of another equaliser but could not find a way past the Tanzanian defence.

“Goals win games, we knew what Tanzania was going to do, but the two goals we conceded were poor. They had two chances and they scored them and won the game. I said before the match that it was going to be a very difficult match, but we also made life difficult for ourselves,” Ellis said.

Ivory Coast defeat increases pressure on champions

South Africa’s task has become even more complicated following Ivory Coast’s impressive start to the tournament.

The Ivorians defeated Burkina Faso 4-1 in the other Group B fixture, meaning Banyana Banyana cannot afford another poor result if they hope to reach the knockout stages.

Only the top two teams in each group will advance to the quarter-finals, increasing the importance of South Africa’s upcoming matches.

Ivory Coast, ranked seventh in Africa and 72nd in the world, will provide another difficult test when they meet Banyana Banyana on Friday.

Burkina Faso, their final group opponent, are also expected to present a challenge despite their opening defeat, with the West Africans ranked 16th in Africa and 118th globally.

Ellis remains confident her team can recover but admits improvement is required.

The coach believes the quality within the squad is enough to turn their campaign around, provided they respond immediately.

Motlhalo celebrates milestone in defeat

The defeat also came on a memorable personal occasion for Linda Motlhalo, who earned her 100th appearance for South Africa.

The midfielder became the latest member of an elite group of Banyana Banyana players to reach the milestone, joining 12 other internationals including captain Refiloe Jane, Bambanani Mbane and Lebogang Ramalepe.

Although the achievement was overshadowed by the result, Ellis praised Motlhalo’s contribution to the national team since making her debut in 2015.

“Linda came into the team back in 2015 and has been in the team ever since. She is someone you can rely on, very creative, very good on the ball and she deserves it.

“Hopefully she can go further and clock another 50. She has been a tremendous and an ultimate professional, and has carried herself well. I just want to say congratulations to her, and her family can be proud of how much she has given to the game.”

Banyana Banyana will now regroup before facing Ivory Coast on Friday, 31 July, before concluding their group campaign against Burkina Faso on Tuesday, 4 August.