Banyana Banyana’s World Cup dreams hit a snag after Morocco defeat in Wafcon quarter-final

Thembi Kgatlana scored Banyana Banyana’s consolation goal when they fell 2-1 to Morocco in the quarter-final on Saturday night. Their lacklustre run at the ongoing Wafcon has culminated in the team needing to navigate the play-offs to reach the finals in Brazil next year, after failing to progress past the quarter-finals. Banyana lost 2-1 to hosts Morocco in the continental showpiece last-eightat a buzzing Moulay El Hassan Stadium on Saturday night.

Thembi Kgatlana’s late goal was ultimately not enough to cancel out strikes from Sakina Ozraoui and Hanane Ait El Haj. The Atlas Lionesses’ celebrations will continue long into the night – and perhaps for the rest of the tournament – as they build on a resurgence that has seen them qualify for a second successive World Cup, following their debut in 2023. For Banyana, the focus now shifts to Thursday’s play-off clash, which will determine whether they represent the continent in the inter-continental play-offs for a spot in their third successive World Cup in Brazil.

It will be a tense, high-stakes wait. The team’s struggles were visible in the group stage, but they were laid bare in Rabat. The squad appeared not only starved of support in the stands – as the red-and-green-clad crowd dominated the atmosphere – but they were disjointed on the pitch, notably on the bench.

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Desiree Ellis, arriving as the longest-serving coach at the tournament, had never failed to reach a semi-final in her previous four appearances. However, she appeared silenced on Saturday night, struggling with both her team’s lack of fluidity and the dissonance within her backroom staff.

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