Can Banyana Banyana defend their Wafcon title?
The 2025 Wafcon takes place from July 5 to 26.
Banyana will play their opening game against Ghana on Monday, then meet Tanzania next Friday and go against Mali in the last fixture of the group stages on July 14.
However, the team faced some setbacks in their preparations, with players embarking on a two-day strike due to unpaid match fees last weekend and Sasol pulling out as a sponsor.
They go into this tournament with one of their key players, Thembi Kgatlana, not available due to personal reasons.
The team are also adjusting to the intense heat in Morocco, but midfielder Regina Mogolola remains confident they will succeed.
'We are feeling good and we are prepared,' she said. 'We know what it will take to defend our title and we will have to work as a team, play for one another, support each other, fight for one another. So, teamwork will win the day, unlike in tennis where you are on your own.'
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2025 WAFCON: Banyana Banyana focus on the present rather than the past
FILE - Banyana Banyana players celebrate with the trophy after beating Morocco in the final of the last Women's Africa Cup of Nations. Photo: BackpagePix Image: BackpagePix Banyana Banyana will begin their CAF Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title defence this weekend with a clear message from within camp — the past will not play a part for them in Morocco. The 2025 edition of the tournament officially kicks off on Saturday with the final set for 26 July. Banyana, who are based in Oujda, will face Ghana, Tanzania and Mali in Group C as they attempt to retain the crown they famously won three years ago. 'We are focused on ourselves and not stressed about other teams. We just need to make sure that we do on the field what we do when we train,' said forward Noxolo Cesane, who is expected to play a key role in Desiree Ellis' squad during the campaign. The team resumed training on Friday in Casablanca after a day off, before travelling to their base for the group stages. When you're this ready for WAFCON, even your feet can't stay on the ground 😅🦅#BanyanaBanyana 💛 — Banyana_Banyana (@Banyana_Banyana) July 4, 2025 Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ Banyana are among 12 nations competing for the newly unveiled WAFCON trophy, which was presented on Wednesday in Rabat. Cesane insists Banyana are not banking on the memories of 2022, where they defeated hosts Morocco to win their maiden continental title. Instead, she believes the current group must earn the right to be champions again. 'Every day, every month and every season teams change, and it is going to be hard. But we have to fix ourselves instead of looking at other teams, and we have to work hard to achieve what we want,' she said. 'So far, we are doing well. We have frustrations here and there, like mistakes on the field, and we have to fix those – it's difficult but we are working hard.' While defending their title will be the primary goal, Banyana will also be motivated by the significant increase in prize money announced by CAF. I promise you nobody has frustrated Morocco like South Africa has recently. 2022 - Banyana Banyana win WAFCON beating Morocco 2024 - Bafana Bafana eliminates Morocco from AFCON 2025 - Amajita wins the AFCON beating Morocco #OfficialPSL #bafanabafana #banyanabanyana #AFCON — BakZy_SA (@bakzy_sa) May 18, 2025
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Cesane stressed they must work harder and not rely on their reputation as defending champions because that is going to count for little as most teams have evolved and improved over the past few years. 'Every day, every month and every season teams change and it is going to be hard. We have to fix ourselves instead of looking at other teams and we have to work hard to achieve what we want. 'So far we are doing well, we have frustrations here and there like mistakes on the field and we have to fix those. It's difficult but we are working hard.' In the past week, Banyana were training under sweltering conditions in Casablanca but on Friday they travelled to their base camp in Oujda to work on the final stages of their preparations.
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a day ago
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Can Banyana Banyana defend their Wafcon title?
The Banyana Banyana squad is set to defend their Women's Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) title, which they won in Morocco in 2022. The 2025 Wafcon takes place from July 5 to 26. Banyana will play their opening game against Ghana on Monday, then meet Tanzania next Friday and go against Mali in the last fixture of the group stages on July 14. However, the team faced some setbacks in their preparations, with players embarking on a two-day strike due to unpaid match fees last weekend and Sasol pulling out as a sponsor. They go into this tournament with one of their key players, Thembi Kgatlana, not available due to personal reasons. The team are also adjusting to the intense heat in Morocco, but midfielder Regina Mogolola remains confident they will succeed. 'We are feeling good and we are prepared,' she said. 'We know what it will take to defend our title and we will have to work as a team, play for one another, support each other, fight for one another. So, teamwork will win the day, unlike in tennis where you are on your own.'
