Still a long way to go

Banyana Banyana’s 2-1 semifinal loss to their arch-rivals Nigeria in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) was a serious blow.

- VeeJay

This was the last thing South African football needed, not just against the Super Falcons, but simply because we desperately hoped that our ladies would defend their title. However, it simply was not to be. Finishing fourth, after losing the third-place Play-Off against Ghana was even worse.

Going to the tournament, there were several issues that needed to be dealt with. From unpaid match fees that saw our team stage a sit-in protest in Morocco, some players’ exclusion from the team, as well as taking a young and inexperienced team to the biennial tournament. Losing to Nigeria, the most successful team in the tournament, with nine titles to their name while we only have one, isn’t as bad as some people seem to think. Despite all of that, we were optimistic that our girls would do the job and ensure that they bring back their trophy they won in Morocco in 2022.