Banyana Banyana beat Nigeria to keep 2027 World Cup hopes alive

South Africa kept their 2027 World Cup qualification hopes alive with a 2-1 victory over Nigeria in Casablanca, reaching the next stage of the inter-continental play-offs after a spirited performance at the Moulay Rachid Stadium on Thursday.

Thembi Kgatlana and Refiloe Jane scored the goals that secured the win for Banyana Banyana, while Uchenna Ucheibe converted a penalty in the second minute of added time for Nigeria.

South Africa will now join Ghana in the next inter-continental play-off phase, where they will face Uzbekistan, Chinese Taipei, Ecuador and Papua New Guinea for two places in the final round.

If they progress, they will compete against two Concacaf teams, one UEFA team and Venezuela for three World Cup qualification spots.

The result was particularly significant for both sides, who had missed out on direct qualification after failing to reach the semi-finals of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. Their performances in that tournament had put both teams under pressure before Thursday’s decisive meeting.

Banyana Banyana responded with a display that showed greater confidence and cohesion than during their WAFCON campaign, when they were eliminated in the quarter-finals.

The first half was closely contested, with the midfield providing the main battleground. Neither goalkeeper, Kaylin Swart of South Africa or Nigeria’s Chiamaka Nnadozie, was seriously tested during a largely even opening 45 minutes.

Despite the strong vocal support for Nigeria in the stands, South Africa maintained their composure. The coaching staff also appeared better organised, with Desiree Ellis and her assistants sharing instructions effectively from the technical area.

That clarity was reflected on the pitch, where captains Refiloe Jane and Rasheedat Ajibade engaged in a competitive midfield contest as Banyana worked to control the rhythm of the match.

Nigeria began the second half with greater fluency, but the Super Falcons were unable to turn their improved possession into clear-cut chances. South Africa recovered their shape and eventually took the lead after Nigeria gave the ball away.

Ronnel Donnelly released Hildah Magaia, who chose to pass rather than shoot and found Kgatlana unmarked. The forward made no mistake, beating Nnadozie in the 56th minute.

The goal came shortly after Nigeria had replaced Asisat Oshoala and silenced much of the support for the hosts.

Nigeria almost equalised soon afterwards when Uchenna Kanu met a header, but Swart produced an outstanding save to keep it out. Her intervention further underlined her importance to the team after an earlier injury scare.

South African supporters then launched into a spirited rendition of “Mbobo Vuleka”, and their celebration was followed by another decisive moment.

Jane reacted quickest to a loose ball inside the penalty area and scored in the 77th minute to put Banyana Banyana 2-0 up. The goal came in her 155th appearance for South Africa.

Swart, who was named Player of the Match, made another important save late on as Nigeria pressed for a way back into the contest.

The visitors were given a final opportunity when Jane was sent off after receiving a second yellow card for handball. Ucheibe converted the resulting penalty in the 90th minute, but Nigeria could not find another goal before the final whistle.

The victory came in front of a disappointing number of empty seats, highlighting the tournament’s poor marketing, but the rivalry between the two teams remained intense throughout.

Banyana Banyana must now turn their attention to securing a place in the final round of the World Cup qualification play-offs later this year.

Mihlali Baleka is covering WAFCON in Morocco for IOL, courtesy of Banyana Banyana’s premier sponsor, Sasol.