Latest news with #NonhlanhlaMthandi
TimesLIVE
5 days ago
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
Banyana pay the penalty in Wafcon bronze medal match defeat to Ghana
Banyana Banyana lost 4-3 to Ghana on penalties during their Africa Women's Cup of Nations (Wafcon) third and fourth place playoff match at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium in Casablanca on Friday. They could not be separated after 90 minutes of largely uninspiring action which ended 1-1 where they missed numerous good scoring opportunities. South Africa took the lead through Nonhlanhla Mthandi on the stroke of half-time but Ghana returned from the break with more determination and they equalised from the effort of Kusi Alice in the 67th minute. During the shoot-outs, Banyana scored from the efforts of Linda Mothlalo, Bambanani Mbane, Jermaine Seoposenwe while Sibulele Holweni and Hilda Magaia could not find the back of the net. Banyana goalkeeper Andile Dlamini made one save to deny Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah. For Seoposenwe, her successful penalty kick was the last action for the national team as she had already announced retirement from international football before the tournament. South Africa went to this tournament in Morocco as defending champions and failure to get a medal is going to put the spotlight on coach Desiree Ellis and they may be more retirements to follow Seoposenwe.
Morocco World
5 days ago
- Sport
- Morocco World
Ghana Claims WAFCON Bronze with 4-3 Penalty Shootout Win Over South Africa
Marrakech – Ghana secured the bronze medal at the 2024 Women's Africa Cup of Nations after defeating South Africa 4-3 on penalties following a 1-1 draw in regular time at Larbi Zaouli Stadium in Casablanca on Friday evening. The match was a rematch of their group stage encounter, where South Africa had previously defeated Ghana 2-0. This time, however, the Black Queens managed to avenge that loss in dramatic fashion. South Africa took the lead just before halftime when Nonhlanhla Mthandi scored in the 45th minute. Ghana equalized in the 68th minute through an unfortunate own goal by South African goalkeeper Andile Dlamini. With the scores level at 1-1 after full time, the match went straight to penalties. Ghana converted four of their five spot kicks through A. Kusi, J. Bonsu, J. Cudjoe, and N. Amoh, while C. Boye-Hlorkah missed her attempt. South Africa managed three successful penalties from L. Motlhalo, B. Mbane, and J. Seoposenwe, but S. Holweni and H. Magaia failed to convert their spot kicks. The victory recreated Ghana's bronze medal triumph over South Africa from the 2016 WAFCON in Yaoundé, where they also defeated Banyana Banyana 1-0 in the third-place match. For Ghana's coach Kim Björkegren, who took over in February, this represents an important progress for a team that failed to qualify for the previous tournament. The Swedish tactician had noted before the match that his team had improved significantly since their group stage loss to South Africa. South Africa, the defending champions, were unable to secure back-to-back podium finishes despite dominating their earlier group stage meeting. Coach Desiree Ellis had stressed the importance of finishing with a medal, particularly to honor injured teammate Gabriela Salgado who suffered a severe leg injury in their semifinal loss to Nigeria. The result tips the historical balance between these two fierce rivals in favor of Ghana, who now have five wins to South Africa's four in their eleven encounters, with two draws. Both teams had previously won four matches each against one another in a perfectly balanced rivalry before this bronze medal match. The WAFCON 2024 will conclude tomorrow with hosts Morocco facing Nigeria in the final match, after the Atlas Lionesses defeated Ghana and Nigeria overcame South Africa in their respective semifinals. Tags: GhanaSouth AfricaWAFCON 2024
