South Africa aim to put a troubled start to their Women’s Africa Cup of Nations campaign behind them when Banyana Banyana meet Ivory Coast in their second Group B match in Casablanca. South Africa lost 2-1 to Tanzania on Monday and need a positive result to recover in the group.
Preparations were unsettled during the week after the South African Football Association released a statement noting it was “with concern” about Bambanani Mbane’s expletive-laden criticism of fan backlash on social media. Despite the controversy, Mbane is in the starting lineup for Friday’s game.
Ivory Coast arrive off a 4-1 victory over Burkina Faso in their opening match of the group. Burkina Faso are scheduled to play Tanzania in the late Group B kick-off on Friday night.
Banyana Banyana must bounce back to keep their World Cup hopes alive, a point underlined by the importance of Friday’s fixture. Meanwhile, midfielder Linda Motlhalo has expressed continued faith in South Africa’s ability to produce top talent.
A live blog is tracking the match and will provide updates as the game unfolds.
