Morocco face Banyana Banyana test in Wafcon quarter-final, says Dhlamini

“Morocco haven’t been tested.”

That is the assessment from South Africa defender Karabo Dhlamini as Banyana Banyana prepare to face the hosts in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals at Rabat’s Moulay El Hassan Stadium on Saturday.

The match, which kicks off at 10pm South Africa time, is a repeat of the 2022 final, when South Africa beat Morocco 2-1 to claim their first and only Women’s Africa Cup of Nations title.

Morocco enter the last-eight tie with the tournament’s strongest defensive record, having yet to concede a goal. South Africa, by contrast, allowed four goals across their three Group B matches.

Dhlamini, however, said Morocco’s clean-sheet record would not intimidate Banyana Banyana, insisting the hosts had not faced a serious enough examination before the knockout stage.

“We know Morocco haven’t conceded and we feel like they haven’t been tested,” Dhlamini asserted at a press conference held at the fixture venue on Friday afternoon.

Morocco began their Group A campaign with a 4-0 victory over Kenya before edging Algeria 1-0 in their second match. They then completed the group stage with a goalless draw against Senegal, a result that ensured they remained the only side in the competition yet to concede.

The hosts were runners-up at the previous edition, losing last year’s final to Nigeria.

South Africa’s route to the quarter-finals was considerably more difficult. Banyana Banyana opened Group B with a 2-1 defeat by Tanzania and then drew 2-2 with Ivory Coast, leaving their qualification hopes in a precarious position.

They recovered to beat Burkina Faso 1-0 in their final group match, but still needed results elsewhere to go their way. Ivory Coast provided that assistance by beating Tanzania in a synchronised final group fixture on Wednesday, allowing South Africa to reach the knockout phase.

Dhlamini, who operates at left-back and plays for Mamelodi Sundowns, said the team had already moved on from its uneven group-stage campaign.

“The group stages weren’t easy, but that’s the past now. Our focus is on the next stage,” the utility left-back said.

The 2022 final remains the key reference point between the two teams, with South Africa’s victory securing the country’s first Women’s Africa Cup of Nations trophy. Morocco will now have home advantage as they attempt to progress to the semi-finals, while Banyana Banyana will look to repeat the result from three years ago.

The stakes extend beyond the continental title. The four semi-finalists at this Women’s Africa Cup of Nations will qualify for next year’s World Cup in Brazil. The four teams defeated in the quarter-finals will instead compete for two CAF places in the intercontinental play-offs.

Ndebele is in Rabat courtesy of Banyana Banyana’s premier sponsor, Sasol

Sowetan