'No deeper issues' but Thembi Kgatlana's absence laid bare Banyana's title defence
The absence of Thembi Kgatlana was glaringly felt during the Women's Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) finishing in Morocco this weekend, where South Africa's national team, Banyana Banyana failed to defend their title.
The 83-times capped striker, known for her remarkable goal-scoring capabilities, left a void that the team struggled to fill throughout the tournament.
Signs of Kgatlana's absence became evident in the group stage during Banyana's second group match against Tanzania, when the defending champions failed to secure a victory, ending in a surprising 1-all draw.
The inability to convert opportunities highlighted a critical gap in the squad, as Kgatlana's offensive threat was sorely missed.
Even in the subsequent quarter-final clash against Senegal, which Banyana won on penalties, the team showcased their attacking prowess but could not find the back of the net in regular and extra time.
Time and again, the South Africans prised open Senegal's defence, yet with no one possessing Kgatlana's finishing skills, they failed to capitalise on their chances.
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Just 2 days to go until Giants hit your screens ☠️ 📆 Sunday, 27 July 📺 21:00 on SuperSport & Mzansi Magic ⚫⚪🔴⭐#OrlandoPirates#OnceAlways#giantsondstv — Orlando Pirates (@orlandopirates) July 25, 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. 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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 ✕ Being able to handle pressure hasn't come naturally for Mabasa. He has to feed off the support of his teammates and technical team as well. As such, when he went through a rough patch last season, resulting in him losing his place in the starting berth, it was his replacement, Evidence Makgopa, who offered him more support. 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