BANYANA BANYANA: What next?
The Sasol-sponsored Banyana Banyana have wrapped up their USA tour and are expected back home on Tuesday (26 September 2023).
The African Champions played two matches against their American counterparts, losing 3-0 in the first encounter in Cincinnati (21 September), and putting on a brave performance three days later in Chicago, but could not deny the four-time World Champions a 2-0 victory.
Those were the first games for the two sides after the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup held in Australia and New Zealand last month, where both were knocked out in the Round of 16.
Now where to for Banyana Banyana?
The South Africans have two crucial qualifiers – Paris 2024 Olympics and the CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations 2024, and a COSAFA Women’s Championships to deal with before the year is over.
For the Olympic Games, only two spots are reserved for the African continent in the women’s division, and Desiree Ellis’ charges are seeking their third participation after London 2012 and Rio 2016 – they missed out on Tokyo 2020 following their unexpected loss to Botswana.
Banyana Banyana will have to go past the Democratic Republic of Congo in the second round of the qualifiers next month (23 – 31 October 2023) before taking on the winner between Tanzania and Botswana in the third round scheduled for 19 -28 March 2024.
The fourth and final round against as yet unknown opponents (one between Uganda, Cameroon, Ethiopia or Nigeria) will be played 1 – 9 April 2024.
The Olympic Games will take place from 26 July – 11 August 2024 in Paris, France.
PARIS 2024 OLYMPICS QUALIFIERS:
First round: 10–18 July 2023
Second round: 23–31 October 2023
Third round: 19–28 February 2024
Fourth round: 1–9 April 2024
Olympic Game: 26 July – 11 August 2024
There are also the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, set to be played between 27 November – 6 December 2023, where the defending champions will face the winner between Eswatini and Burkina Faso in a two-legged affair.
Eleven nations will join automatically-qualified hosts Morocco for the tournament.
Prior to the two qualifiers, Banyana Banyana will play in the 2023 Hollywoodbets COSAFA Women’s Championship which will run from 4 – 15 October 2023.
The 11th edition will be held in Johannesburg and will feature 12 countries.
Hosts South Africa have been drawn in Group A alongside Malawi, Madagascar and Eswatini.
Banyana Banyana are the most successful team in the tournament, and have won it a record seven times (2002, 2006, 2008, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020).
Zambia are the defending champions after lifting their maiden title in 2022 – the competition did not take place in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Zimbabwe and Tanzania are the two other nations to have won the tournament.
Last year South Africa claimed silver, using a squad of youngsters, as the regular players were involved in international friendly matches against Brazil in preparation for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Head coach of the South African U17 Women’s National Team, Simphiwe Dludlu, was in charge of the COSAFA Cup squad in Gqeberha, assisted by Nthabeleng Modiko, Head Coach of the Hollywoodbets Super League side, University of Johannesburg (UJ Ladies).
The tournament falls outside the FIFA Calendar dates, and it appears the hosts will follow the same route this year, with Ellis taking charge of a squad of Banyana Banyana fringe players and youngsters.
“I think after we having won the COSAFA Cup for so many times we’ve started seeing it as more of a development tournament, given the rise in different platforms as far as women’s football is concerned. We have players plying their trade in Europe and the Hollywoodbets Super League, so COSAFA gives us an opportunity for new players to come and showcase their talent and put up their hands for the coach to increase her pool of players,” said SAFA CEO Lydia Monyepao.
“I am expecting the coach (Desiree Ellis), similar to last year, to take a fairly new squad, perhaps some of the players that did not get a run at the World Cup, maybe she might give some of them a run as well, we’ll wait and see what she comes up with. But at the end of the day, it’s about also giving the new players an opportunity other than the ones who have already proven themselves.”
The coach is also on the same page, as quoted by Deputy Minister of Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation, Nocawe Mafu.
“This tournament has done so much for the region – you have two countries that represented this region at the World Cup in New Zealand and Australia. We knew that the best countries are there because we’ve seen them playing in this tournament. I had a discussion with coach Desiree at the gssports Awards, she said to me, ‘this tournament is one that as Banyana Banyana we value. It is a tournament that we will never miss because for us it is an opportunity to introduce new players – because those that we would have to introduce on the international stage we introduce in this tournament. She says many of you that see the players that are doing well today on the international stage, they first played in this tournament.”
Ellis is expected to name the COSAFA Cup squad in the next few days.
Banyana Banyana 2023 assignments:
| DATES | OPPONENT | CLASSIFICATION |
| 4 -15 October | COSAFA | Hollywoodbets COSAFA Women’s Championship |
| 23 – 31 October | DR Congo | 2024 Olympics qualifiers second round |
| 27 NOV – 6 DEC | TBD – 2nd Round | 2024 Women’s AFCON qualifiers |
By Matlhomola Morake
