Salgado targets Wafcon redemption as Banyana chase gold in Morocco

South Africa forward Gabriela Salgado says she has “put the injury behind” her and is focused on winning a first Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) title as a player, as Banyana Banyana return to Morocco seeking redemption and World Cup qualification.

The 28-year-old suffered a horrific fracture of the mid‐shaft of her left leg in the semi-final against Nigeria at the last Wafcon, also staged in Morocco, as South Africa slumped to a disappointing fourth-place finish.

Salgado had also missed the 2022 edition in Morocco – when Banyana were crowned African champions for the first time – after a serious shoulder injury kept her out of the tournament.

Now back in the squad for a third successive finals in the same country, she insists her focus is no longer on the trauma of those setbacks but on securing continental glory and a place at the next Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

“Injuries are part of the game … I’ve been back with the team for a while now, so my injury is no longer in my mind. I am just happy to be on the field,” Salgado said.

“It took a lot of mental [strength] for me to be here today, returning to Wafcon. I had to have a good mentality and put in the work. The past setbacks motivate me to go for that gold medal.”

From heartbreak to hope

Salgado’s Wafcon story has been shaped by misfortune in Morocco.

In 2022, a shoulder problem ruled her out of the entire tournament as she watched from the sidelines while South Africa finally lifted the trophy after several previous final defeats.

Last winter, at the following Wafcon in the same North African nation, she experienced fresh heartbreak when she broke her leg in the last-four clash with Nigeria. Banyana’s hopes of defending their crown then faded as they ended the competition outside the medals in fourth.

This time, with the continental showpiece again being staged in Morocco from Sunday until 16 August, Salgado is determined the venue will become the setting for a personal and collective turnaround.

Mental resilience at the heart of comeback

Salgado says the long road back from her leg fracture was as much a psychological battle as a physical one.

“It took a lot of mental [strength] for me to be here today, returning to Wafcon,” she explained. “I had to have a good mentality and put in the work.”

Her return restores experience and attacking flair to Banyana’s forward line as they prepare for another campaign in familiar surroundings in Casablanca.

The South Africans will again base their group-stage campaign at the Moulay Rachid Stadium, where they will play all three Group B matches.

Group B and route to Brazil

Banyana have been drawn in Group B alongside Tanzania, Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso, with all fixtures scheduled in South African time:

– 27 July v Tanzania (18:00) – Moulay Rachid Stadium, Casablanca – 31 July v Ivory Coast (18:00) – Moulay Rachid Stadium, Casablanca – 4 August v Burkina Faso (21:00) – Moulay Rachid Stadium, Casablanca

Beyond the continental title, qualification for the next Women’s World Cup – to be hosted by Brazil next winter – is at stake.

The four semi-finalists at Wafcon will qualify automatically for the World Cup, while two additional African nations can still reach the tournament via play-off pathways.

With that prize on offer and the memory of last year’s disappointment still raw, Salgado believes her ordeal can now fuel Banyana’s ambitions rather than hold them back.

“The past setbacks motivate me to go for that gold medal,” she said, as South Africa prepare once more to test themselves against the continent’s best in Morocco.