South Africa warned there is no room for error in World Cup play-offs

South Africa have been drawn against Chinese Taipei, Ecuador and Uzbekistan in the preliminary phase of the play-offs for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, with coach Desiree Ellis warning that a poor start could seriously damage their hopes of reaching the tournament.

The draw was made at FIFA’s headquarters in Zurich on Thursday. The matches will be played during the international window from 24 November to 5 December 2026, although the venue has yet to be announced.

South Africa and Ghana represented the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in the draw, alongside Asian Football Confederation (AFC) sides Chinese Taipei and Uzbekistan, Ecuador from the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL), and Papua New Guinea of the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC).

“It is not an easy draw, but it is manageable if we get off to a good start. That simply means the first match is crucial, because a setback would make the task even more difficult. I have kept saying there is no room for error, and that is even more true this time because this is our last chance to qualify for the World Cup,” said Ellis, head coach of Banyana Banyana.

“The victory over Nigeria restored confidence among the players, and I can tell you they were eager to find out the draw. I am certain they are now looking forward to the matches. Knowing who our opponents are means we can study them thoroughly and prepare as well as possible.”

South Africa have already played Uzbekistan, but have yet to face Chinese Taipei or Ecuador.

Ellis said her squad would concentrate on the preliminary stage rather than looking beyond it, while expressing confidence that South Africa could finish in the top two.

“It is interesting to note that we have already faced Uzbekistan, but not Chinese Taipei or Ecuador. We must focus on this stage of the competition and not look too far ahead,” she added.

“However, we are confident about our chances of finishing among the top two. We are also fortunate that all our players have accumulated significant playing time. In addition, we will play a match in October, an Olympic qualifying match, which will allow us to fine-tune the squad before the play-offs.”

The coach again underlined the importance of the opening fixture.

“I want to repeat this: the first match will be crucial, because the second will give us a clear indication of where we stand.”

Only the two highest-ranked teams in the mini-tournament will progress to the final phase, which is scheduled for February next year. They will join four other sides: one from UEFA, one from CONMEBOL and two from CONCACAF.

The final phase will determine the three teams who qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil through knockout matches.

Cameroon, Malawi, Algeria and Morocco are among the 18 African nations involved in the wider qualification process. For South Africa, the play-offs represent their final route to the World Cup, increasing the importance of every match in their group.