South Africa head into their final Group B match against Burkina Faso in Casablanca knowing a win could be enough to reach the WAFCON quarter-finals, but qualification is not guaranteed. If Ivory Coast and Tanzania draw in the other group fixture, South Africa would be eliminated even with victory, the tournament standings make clear.
Ivory Coast top Group B on four points, with Tanzania and Burkina Faso on three and South Africa on one following a 2-2 draw with Ivory Coast in which Hildah Magaia scored a stoppage-time equaliser after Thembi Kgatlana had earlier reduced the deficit. A win would move South Africa to four points, but Tanzania hold the superior head-to-head record after beating South Africa 2-1 in the opening game — and head-to-head, rather than goal difference, is the primary group-stage tiebreaker under WAFCON regulations.
If Tanzania beat Ivory Coast and South Africa defeat Burkina Faso, second place would be determined by goal difference between South Africa and Ivory Coast. Only the top two teams in each group advance to the quarter-finals, with quarter-final winners progressing to the semi-finals and securing qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil. Losing quarter-finalists will contest playoffs for two places in the Inter-Confederation Playoffs.
The match is scheduled for Tuesday, August 4 at 10 p.m. CAT (9 p.m. local time in Morocco, 9 p.m. BST) at Stade Moulay Rachid in Casablanca. South African viewers can watch on SuperSport and SABC; CAF TV is also among broadcasters carrying the tournament.
Team news includes Bambanani Mbane starting in defence despite a rebuke from the South African Football Association after a social-media exchange; Mbane has apologised and appears likely to be selected again. Burkina Faso started Nina Dabilgou in goal in their 2-1 win over Tanzania, while Faouzia Ouedraogo served a one-match suspension following a red card. Red cards carry an automatic one-match ban that can be extended by CAF for serious offences.
Expected starters for Burkina Faso include GK Nina Dabilgou with forwards Adama Congo and Rasmata Sawadogo. South Africa are expected to field Kaylin Swart in goal, a back four featuring Bambanani Mbane and Karabo Dhlamini, and an attack led by Thembi Kgatlana and Ronnel Donnelly.
Thembi Kgatlana has seven goals in seven WAFCON appearances since debuting in 2018, having missed the 2022 group stage through injury and last year’s tournament for undisclosed personal reasons. Banyana Banyana’s first two results at this year’s WAFCON have mirrored Bafana Bafana’s World Cup start: an opening loss followed by a comeback draw.
