Play-offs offer a lifeline for Banyana Banyana’s World Cup qualification
After falling to Morocco in the Wafcon, Banyana Banyana must beat Nigeria in upcoming play-offs to secure their qualification path for the 2027 World Cup.
The South African women's national soccer team, Banyana Banyana, is still hopeful of qualifying for the 2027 World Cup in Brazil despite their recent elimination from the Wafcon quarter-finals. Although they were defeated by Morocco 2-1, reaching the quarter-finals has given them a second chance to qualify through the play-offs.
They will face Nigeria in a continental play-off on Thursday night in Casablanca, with further victories required in the inter-continental play-offs later in the year. Karabo Dhlamini, a key player, has already made significant strides in her international career. Debuting for Banyana U17 in 2018, she became the youngest player to join the World Cup squad during their 2019 debut in France at just 17.
She has since represented Banyana at the World Cup in 2019 and is now set to face Nigeria in the play-offs. Dhlamini remains optimistic, stressing the importance of maintaining motivation and focusing on their upcoming matches. The team must ensure they secure clean sheets, with goalkeeper Kaylin Swart being crucial, and create more goal-scoring opportunities, as they have conceded four goals in their last two matches.
Dhlamini emphasizes that scoring goals is essential for Banyana to progress and ultimately succeed in the World Cup.
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