South Africa aim to recover from a troubled start on and off the field when they meet Ivory Coast in their second Group B match of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Casablanca. Banyana Banyana lost 2-1 to Tanzania on Monday.
Preparation for Friday’s clash has been disrupted off the pitch. The South African Football Association released a statement saying it was “with concern” over Bambanani Mbane’s expletive-laden criticism of fan backlash on social media. Mbane is in the starting lineup regardless.
Ivory Coast enter the match on the back of a 4-1 victory over Burkina Faso in their opening game, leaving them level on confidence and points in the group.
The result carries weight for South Africa’s wider ambitions; Banyana need to bounce back to keep their World Cup hopes alive. Midfielder Linda Motlhalo has said she still has faith in the team as they seek to respond to the early setback.
Burkina Faso will face Tanzania in the late Group B kick-off on Friday night. Follow the action as it happens with the live blog accompanying coverage of the Casablanca fixtures.
