Banyana Banyana battle back against Ivory Coast but face crucial WAFCON finale

Banyana Banyana revived their CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations campaign with a dramatic 2-2 draw against Ivory Coast, but South Africa’s hopes of reaching the knockout stages remain uncertain.

Desiree Ellis’ side recovered from two goals behind in Friday’s Group B meeting, yet the result means they must win their final group match against Burkina Faso and continue to rely on other results going their way.

South Africa’s qualification prospects are no longer fully in their own hands. Banyana will need to overcome Burkina Faso, while the later fixture involving Tanzania and Burkina Faso will also have a significant bearing on the final Group B standings and their chances of progressing.

The draw represented a strong recovery after a difficult first half, in which Ivory Coast repeatedly exposed South Africa’s vulnerability to counter-attacks. Ellis’ team had encountered similar problems in their opening match against Tanzania, but they were unable to prevent the pace of the Lady Elephants from causing further damage.

Ivory Coast took the lead in the 18th minute when Grace Sery ran onto a perfectly weighted through ball from Nsira Ouedraogo. She kept her composure to finish past Kaylin Swart and put her side in front.

The same combination produced a second goal before half-time. Ouedraogo again found space to send a lofted pass over the South African defence, while Sery judged her run accurately and caught Swart away from her line. The forward completed the move with a clinical finish to double her own tally and Ivory Coast’s advantage.

South Africa went into the interval in need of an immediate response, and they found one through Thembi Kgatlana. The Banyana star produced a moment of individual quality after the restart, striking spectacularly to reduce the deficit to 2-1.

Kgatlana’s goal changed the momentum of the contest. South Africa began to apply sustained pressure as Ellis’ players pushed forward in search of an equaliser, forcing Ivory Coast to defend for long periods.

Their persistence finally paid off late in the match when second-half substitute Hildah Magaia found the net to complete the comeback and secure a valuable point.

However, the result leaves the former African champions with little room for error. Victory over Burkina Faso in their final group match is now essential, while the outcome of the later Tanzania and Burkina Faso fixture will also help determine whether South Africa can reach the knockout stages.

The determination shown in Morocco after falling two goals behind has kept Banyana Banyana’s tournament alive. But after Friday’s draw, their route through the group is considerably more complicated, and they can no longer determine their fate by their own result alone.