Desiree Ellis says South Africa’s Burkina Faso match is a ‘final’

South Africa coach Desiree Ellis has described her side’s Women’s Africa Cup of Nations meeting with Burkina Faso as “probably the final for us”, with qualification for the knockout stage at stake.

The Group B match will kick off at 22:00 South African time. The Banyana Banyana are bottom of the pool with one point from their opening two games, while Burkina Faso sit third, two points ahead of them.

South Africa must beat the West African side to keep their campaign alive. They will also need leaders Cote d’Ivoire to defeat Tanzania in the group’s other fixture, which begins at the same time.

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

Ellis knows the importance of the occasion but said her team must focus on controlling the aspects of the match within their influence.

“Burkina Faso did not get here by chance, but we have to focus on ourselves. We have to control the game from the kick-off – we can only control what is within our power.”

The South African coach said her players had prepared thoroughly and understood the consequences of failing to secure the required result.

“We have prepared well and we will be ready to give our best, aware of what is at stake. It is probably the final for us; if we do not get the result we want, it is the end of our journey.”

South Africa began the group stage with one point and now face a decisive contest against Burkina Faso, who are positioned above them with two points more. Cote d’Ivoire lead the section on four points, with Tanzania in second on three.

The results of both matches will determine which teams progress, meaning South Africa’s players will have to concentrate on their own performance while hoping for a favourable outcome in the meeting between Cote d’Ivoire and Tanzania.

Ellis believes her squad can draw on previous experience of high-pressure matches as they attempt to reach the knockout phase.

“We have been in similar situations before and I am convinced that we have players experienced enough to lead us to victory. Yes, the pressure will be immense, but we have never doubted ourselves and we can draw inspiration from our past experience,” said Dr Ellis.

The Group B fixtures are being played simultaneously, ensuring that all four teams receive the same information and face the same circumstances as qualification is decided. For South Africa, however, the equation is clear: victory against Burkina Faso is essential, followed by the result they need in the other match.

A place in the last 16 is at stake in the meeting between the two nations, while the wider tournament structure means the teams that ultimately win their quarter-finals will secure qualification for next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.