Thembi Kgatlana says Banyana Banyana’s Wafcon experience can make the difference against Morocco

Thembi Kgatlana believes South Africa’s greater experience of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations can help Banyana Banyana overcome hosts Morocco in Saturday’s quarter-final in Rabat.

The match carries significance beyond a place in the last four. The winners will reach the semi-finals and, with all four semi-finalists qualifying for next year’s World Cup in Brazil, will also secure a place at the global tournament.

Banyana Banyana have appeared in 15 editions of the competition and have never missed a tournament since 1995. Morocco, by contrast, have made only five Wafcon appearances.

South Africa defeated Morocco in the final in Rabat in 2022 to claim what remains their only Women’s Africa Cup of Nations title. Kgatlana believes that experience, including the knowledge of what is required in high-pressure matches, could prove valuable again.

“Right now the most important thing is to recover to make sure that we arrive in the quarterfinals fresh. We have the experience … we’ve played Wafcon so many times and we understand the importance of focusing on ourselves,” Kgatlana said.

South Africa’s route into the knockout stage was far from straightforward. They began their Group B campaign with a defeat by Tanzania before drawing with Ivory Coast, leaving their qualification hopes in serious doubt after the opening two matches.

They needed a victory in their final group game against Burkina Faso and secured it in Casablanca on Wednesday, with Kgatlana scoring the only goal of the match.

Ivory Coast then helped South Africa’s cause by beating Tanzania 2-1 in the other fixture, which was played at the same time. The result allowed Banyana Banyana to progress to the quarter-finals.

Kgatlana said the team had begun to find its rhythm during the group stage, particularly in the match against Ivory Coast, but stressed that the immediate priority had been reaching the knockout phase rather than producing stylish football.

“We started the tournament really slowly but we started to get our momentum against Ivory Coast. We’ve always known the importance of going into the quarterfinals, so we were not just going to give up that easy,” Kgatlana said, adding that sometimes you have to grind results without playing beautiful football.

South Africa’s win over Burkina Faso was ultimately enough to keep their campaign alive, even though their performances had not always matched their ambitions.

“Sometimes football isn’t nice and beautiful, with tactics. Sometimes it’s just about getting the three points to move forward and that’s what we needed.

“Now everyone is happy and smiling in the locker room because they know how much it means for us to go through.”

The quarter-final in Rabat will therefore bring together the reigning 2022 champions and the hosts, with a semi-final place and World Cup qualification at stake.