Swart urges South Africa to embrace pressure in decisive Burkina Faso clash

South Africa goalkeeper Kaylin Swart says her side are ready for a “real battle” against Burkina Faso as they fight to keep their Women’s Africa Cup of Nations 2026 campaign alive.

The two nations meet in their final Group B match, with a place in the quarter-finals at stake. Kick-off is at 22:00 South African time.

The Banyana Banyana are bottom of the group with one point from their opening two matches, while Burkina Faso are third on two points. Group leaders Ivory Coast, who have four points, face second-placed Tanzania, who have three, in the other Group B fixture.

Both matches will be played at the same time.

For South Africa to reach the quarter-finals, they must beat Burkina Faso and then hope Ivory Coast defeat Tanzania in the other game. The result would allow South Africa to move into one of the qualifying places.

Swart acknowledged the difficulty of the task but said the squad were prepared to respond after a challenging start to the tournament.

“I believe we had not realised how much effort it would take to get to where we are. Mentally, we did not expect it. Tomorrow is a new battle and we are ready,” Swart said.

South Africa’s goalkeeper insisted the team could not afford to dwell on their earlier results and would need to focus entirely on the meeting with Burkina Faso.

“We cannot talk about the past, we have to focus on this match. We will have to give everything to get a result. Our morale has never dropped, despite the results,” she added.

Swart said she was looking forward to the match, even though the pressure on both teams would be intense.

“I am excited because it will be a real battle, in what is called the group of death. It will be a difficult match, and both teams will be under pressure, but sometimes it is that pressure that pushes us to play well, because it is an integral part of the game,” she said.

With the group standings finely balanced, South Africa’s fate will also depend on events in the Ivory Coast-Tanzania fixture. A victory over Burkina Faso alone will not guarantee progression, meaning the Banyana Banyana must produce a strong performance while also monitoring the outcome of the other match.

Only the top two teams from each group will advance to the quarter-finals. The winners of the quarter-final matches will automatically qualify for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 in Brazil next year.

South Africa therefore need both a result of their own and favourable circumstances elsewhere if they are to continue their tournament and move closer to a place at the World Cup.