26 July 2026 – Sasol Banyana Banyana are looking for a positive start against Tanzania in their opening match of the CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON 2026) set to be played on Monday at the Moulay Rachid Stadium in Casablanca, Morocco.
The two nations kick off at 19h00 South African time (18h00 local time in Morocco). Dr Desiree Ellis’ charges have been in North Africa for a week and have now completed their preparations for the opener against the East Africans. In their last meeting, the two countries played to a draw, and Banyana Banyana know what to expect.
“The first match is very important as it sets the tone for the rest of the tournament, you have to go all out with guns blazing. Everything we have done, everything we have prepared was towards this game because you cannot prepare further than that without getting a good result. We have faced Tanzania a couple of times before and the games have been very tight, they can play and they bring a lot of physicality, but we have dealt with teams like these in past and we have prepared extremely well for the game. But what will be key is to keep a clean sheet and control the game,” said Dr Ellis.
The 2022 African Champions are in group B alongside Tanzania, Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso. Banyana Banyana captain Refiloe Jane knows all too well what the first opponents bring to the table.
“Tanzania is not going to be easy, we know that they are a difficult team to face, they are relentless and play until the last whistle. We have to ensure that whatever chance we get we capitalize and score. You win your first game, and you move on with high confidence, so it will be important for us to get a positive result against Tanzania,” Jane said.
South Africa will have more reasons to smile in the opening fixture as they will be celebrating the 100 women’s senior national team appearances of midfielder maestro Linda Motlhalo, should she be named in the starting line-up against Tanzania. WAFCON 2026 kicked off on Sunday, 26 July and will run until 16 August when the queens of the continents are crowned. Nigeria are the defending champions.
This edition carries a special meaning to all 16 teams in the tournament as the semi-finalists will secure automatic qualification for the 2027 Brazil FIFA Women’s World Cup. Sasol, proud sponsors of Banyana Banyana, have sent a goodwill message ahead of the start of the tournament.
“As Sasol Banyana Banyana take to the field to begin their WAFCON campaign, we wish Coach Desiree Ellis, the players and the technical team every success. Through #NtswembuNamanje, we celebrate the strength, resilience and determination that define this team and remind them that an entire nation stands proudly behind them as they represent our country on the continental stage,” said Dean Somerset, Manager: Group Brand and Sponsorships at Sasol.
South African Football: The team has seen several coaching changes due to performance-related issues.
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