Latest news with #TotalEnergiesWAFCON2024
IOL News
2 days ago
- Sport
- IOL News
Desiree Ellis outlines Banyana Banyana's path to recovery after Wafcon disappointment
Despite an uncertain future, Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis believes the national teams must prioritise youth development and improved preparation to succeed on the international stage. Photo: Backpagepix Image: Backpagepix The future of Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis might be uncertain, but she has detailed what the team needs to do to improve going forward. Banyana had a poor outing at the recently concluded Women's Africa Cup of Nations as they relinquished their title and finished fourth. Consequently, this put Ellis' future with the team in serious jeopardy, especially given allegations that she had been working without a contract since 2022. Ellis started working with the national teams eleven years ago when she served as Vera Pauw's assistant coach in 2014. Ladies and gentlemen, your Fair Play Team for #TotalEnergiesWAFCON2024 is.. 🥁 🇿🇦 𝗦𝗢𝗨𝗧𝗛 𝗔𝗙𝗥𝗜𝗖𝗔 🇿🇦 — CAF Women's Football (@CAFwomen) July 26, 2025 Video Player is loading. 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Next Stay Close ✕ She then temporarily took over the reins from Pauw in 2016 before she was finally appointed as the head coach in 2018 to date. During her stint, the 62-year-old has achieved the improbable, including winning Banyana's maiden WAFCON and qualifying for back-to-back World Cups. However, she was unable to defend the crown in Morocco recently due to an underwhelming performance, including losing to eventual champions Nigeria in the semi-final. So, where to go for Ellis? Will she resolve her contractual issues with Safa and stay put to ensure the team qualifies for the 2027 World Cup through next year's WAFCON? 'No comment!' said Ellis during her post-match press conference on Friday following the 4-3 loss to Ghana on penalties after the match ended 1-1 in regulation time. 'Because whatever it is that I am going to say right now, it's going to be taken out of context anyway. So, I'd rather say 'no comment'.' While she is tight-lipped about the direction of her future, she has pointed out that lack of time to prepare for their title defence led to their shortcomings. 'I don't want to make excuses, but we had more time in 2022 to prepare. Our league started late, so we have to consider all those factors,' Ellis said. 'We have to consider how we'd go this tournament – so that's why we made sure that we rotated players for freshness. We had four injured in the stands and five outfield substitutes. So, that's how it goes, but we'll go back and look at what we can do better. 'In 2018, we looked at how we played and what we were doing, and we did things a little bit differently in 2022.' Banyana blew hot and cold after the 2022 WAFCON. They reached the World Cup last sixteen for the first time in 2023, missed out on the Olympics and have now relinquished their title. So, as Ellis tries to map the way forward she knows that she has to usher in a new era, and integrate some new players into the team. There were glimpses of a new dawn at WAFCON as Ronnel Donnelly made her international debut and got to share the pitch with her now retired idol Jermaine Seoposenwe. Ellis, though, stresses that the failure of the junior national teams to qualify for major tournaments is what will hinder their progress going forward. 'Like we said, the continent is like a gold-mine, so everyone has got to step up because there are a lot of investments,' Ellis explained. 'You have seen the investments in the other countries. We need to step up or we are going to be left behind. We have the talent, but our youth teams need to qualify for tournaments. 'So, that's the experience that other countries get - when the youth teams go to these tournaments. Ghana, Tanzania, and Nigeria have been doing it. 'Nigeria have been doing it at every level. So, when you see those players coming through with that experience (it becomes very crucial).'
CAF
3 days ago
- Sport
- CAF
Seoposenwe calls it a day, leaves WAFCON legacy
Tears of relief can be a thing. For Jermaine Seoposenwe, the end of the penalty shootout against Ghana in the third-place playoff at the TotalEnergies WAFCON 2024 on Friday, was the end of her journey with the South African national women's football team. A 15-year journey in national team colours filled with pride, hard work and overall excellence is what will go down memory lane. So many told and untold stories along the way, teammates that became family, trips overseas and most importantly – the fulfilment of a childhood dream. Seoposenwe, who was born in Cape Town, was the first female to score a goal for South Africa at a World Cup in 2010 and has since grown into a crucial member for the Banyana Banyana. Cheeky off the field with her teammates, tough on the field of play against her opponents and sleek in her touch on the ball. Graceful after games regardless of the result. A treasure. Lasting legacy Every girl that loves and wants to play football dreams of representing her nation. For Seoposenwe, she realized this dream. In her glowing career with the Banyana Banyana, she scored the goal that took South Africa to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil which she also competed at, played at two FIFA Women's World Cups (2019 and 2023) as well as four WAFCON editions (2016, 2018, 2022 and 2025). And as South Africa's number 12 retires from international football after amassing 112 caps, she wraps up what has been an immense contribution to a golden generation of South African football. An inspiration to many a young girl and a downright trailblazer. Her former teammate and ex Banyana Banyana international Amanda Dlamini told CAFOnline that, 'She has had a very colourful and rewarding journey in the national team. When I met her, she was young, had raw talent and was very ambitious with a great fighting spirit. She's been able to maintain that over the years. Like many, she had her own challenges and experiences that I think shaped the amazing player and leader we have seen over the years stepping into the centenary club which is not easy. It means she's had to stand the test of time and show great consistency for the national team. She will be missed for her fearlessness on the park, her confidence and composure in the striking force.' Seoposenwe was part of the WAFCON 2022 winning squad that made history – finally breaking the jinx on the continent. The 28-year-old at the time netted twice in the tournament. Her first coming against perennial archrivals Nigeria in a 2-1 win in the opening Group C tie while her second goal was the all-important lone finish against Tunisia in the last eight to book a place in the semifinals. 'Obviously, I made that decision before the tournament and so coming into the tournament, I have been very settled, very calm. A lot of the players have joked with me about my legacy and all those things, but it's very interesting to be in that position. Obviously, in the past I wasn't that person but now I am and it's a responsibility that I've accepted. And I do appreciate it the way they see me and the leader that I've been for them. But for me, it's just been the sense of relief. I don't know if that's the word to use, but I also have a sense of calmness,' Seoposenwe explained in detail. Tributes from Desiree Ellis and Refiloe Jane From the coach and captain's corner, Seoposenwe can hold her head up high even though her last game in a Banyana Banyana jersey ensured that the defending champions finished fourth – missing the podium after a 3-4 loss to Ghana following a 1-1 draw after regular time. Both Ellis and Jane have alongside the entire players' squad and technical staff been supportive of Seoposenwe's decision before and during the competition in a holistic way. Whether it was in moments of joy or when the going got tough. Teamwork by all means. 'What a legacy she leaves behind! I have known Jermaine since the age of 15. She went to the 2010 FIFA U17 Women's World Cup in Trinidad and Tobago, scored our first goal at the World Cup for a women's team. And in that same year, she played at the WAFCON in 2010 in South Africa. Two years later, she played at the London 2012 Olympics and then she played at the WAFCON 2012 in Equatorial Guinea. She was part of that squad that beat Nigeria in the semifinals where she got the silver medal at the age of 19! It says something about Jermaine,' Ellis explained in detail. 'Two successive World Cups, two successive Olympic Games, 2018 silver at the WAFCON, 2022 African champion, 2023 World Cup Round of 16 but there is so, so, so much to Jermaine. A fighter, a leader and someone who gave everything to take this team forward. I don't think we can thank her enough, but we honour her, and we carry her spirit with us. And to be honest, I don't think we have enough words to say thank you to Jermaine for everything that she's done. She's always stepped onto the field, gave her all on the field and that is who Jermaine is. Leaving everything out there, stepping up in 2022 when Thembi [Kgatlana] got injured after not being part of the team for a long while due to visa issues and that is who Jermaine is.' Jane, who has known Seoposenwe for over a decade and with whom the Banyana Banyana won the WAFCON 2022, spoke about her glorious career, 'Jermaine has been a very important figure in the team. From when she was still a teenager to now upon her retirement. She's contributed immensely on and off the field and she leaves an amazing legacy – one for upcoming players to look forward to and to carry on with that.' 'Obviously, we would have loved to give her a perfect sendoff, but we couldn't do it. I hope that she can be proud of the performance of the team throughout the tournament. We know that she still has a lot to offer to football. She might be done with the national team, but she is still going to continue playing football and so much is still to be learnt from her.' South Africa finished fourth at the TotalEnergies WAFCON 2024 in Morocco. What Next? Seoposenwe, who features for CF Monterrey in the Mexican topflight league, will continue featuring at club level. The 31-year-old has played at home in South Africa for the University of Western Cape as well as played in leagues in Lithuania, Spain, Portugal before heading to Mexico. Three continents and Seoposenwe continues shining. Dlamini who is also a member of the 100+ caps with South Africa and is currently working as a broadcaster said, 'I think she's established herself very well outside of being in the national team, so she still has plenty seasons to play at club level.' 'She has a degree and surely big plans for the future. But she should know that she will have to work hard for herself when there's no support of people doing things for her like the football environment does. Everything is done for you (laughs). She should learn to pivot at every juncture as she is yet to discover so much about herself. It's about building a network of people who will be able to hold you up outside of your family, that support structure will always and there but community is equally important in this space.' Seoposenwe holds a Marketing Degree from Samford University in Alabama.
CAF
4 days ago
- Sport
- CAF
WAFCON showcases growth of Women's Football in Africa
In an era of unprecedented growth and development, the ongoing TotalEnergies WAFCON 2024 in Morocco has continuously displayed the impressive evolution of Women's Football on the African continent. In its 13th edition now, the continent's flagship competition has this year seen a new trend in the tactical flexibility of participating teams, importance of goalkeepers and the impact of technology on game analysis before, during and after games. A second straight edition with 12 teams – four more than the eight that featured in the first edition in 1998 up until 2018 in a period spanning two decades, the current competition has highlighted how far the quality of football has improved to match global trends. With world-renowned names like six-time African Player of the Year Asisat Oshoala of Nigeria, the reigning African Player of the Year Barbara Banda from Zambia, her teammate and the most expensive player in a football transfer in 2024 Racheal Kundananji and Mexican league winner Jermaine Seoposenwe of South Africa among others, this WAFCON has been thrilling. And to breakdown the insight from the 42 games played so far is the CAF Technical Study Group that is comprised of the crème de la crème of African Football in WAFCON 2008 winning coach Clementine Touré from Côte d'Ivoire, the reigning TotalEnergies CAF Women's Champions League winner with TP Mazembe Lamia Boumehdi, the Namibia Technical Director Jacqueline Shipanga and Shilene Booysen – current CAF Coaches' Instructor and former South Africa Performance Analyst, ex-head coach of the South Sudan Women's National Team and Wadi Degla. Then and Now? For Women's Football in Africa, the last 27 years of the WAFCON have been like giving birth to a child, seeing the child crawl, then walk and eventually run. The WAFCON is currently at a phase where it is running, running alongside other continental tournaments across the world. From the large numbers of fans attending games to the birth of superstars, the WAFCON has arrived. Ivorian legend Touré looks back at the WAFCON 2008 that she won with the Nzalang Femenino effectively becoming the first and only team to win the tournament outside of Nigeria until South Africa were crowned champions in 2022. 'We started with eight teams. Everyone knew it was Nigeria. We were the first team to beat Nigeria. It is true, many things have changed. Back then for instance, we did not have a platform where coaches would listen to each other. Now we have women as part of the preparations of the WAFCON, more female media, more female security officers in the organization. There is more female presence,' she emphasizes. 'The WAFCON is now on TV. There is technology involved at the game. Everything that we see now is documented and we can talk about this information immediately we receive it like live stats during the game. This is progress. Let me use this opportunity to congratulate everyone that has been involved from the players, coaches – it has been a holistic transformation.' 'I am very pleased to be here. I am lucky to be here at the WAFCON to witness this progress. It is significant. This WAFCON has revealed many trends starting with the playing styles be it offensive movements or the defense. We have noticed a variety of styles – combined playing styles. We also noticed the presence of goalkeepers and how they helped their teams progress in the tournament. Their high quality is important for us to mention. The covering of spaces at the back has been incredible. We saw the quality of the Botswana goalkeeper [Maitumelo Sedilame Bosija]. The impact of the goalkeeper, controlling airborne balls or the midfield on the pitch or the middle of the pack. There has been a lot of curiosity, and we would like to recognize their trainers. All of us [TSG] are trainers and want to be able to train other trainers in other workshops in other countries. The project is still very big. We are here to discuss the trends and the progress made by every team.' 'Now, we also see players who know how to control the defensive side of the pitch, those who are versatile and can play multiple positions. Some players start games as strikers and then they switch to the right wing, then to the left wing. Versatile players like these ones thrive in the flexibility systems. We also noticed that coaches deployed two to three systems within one match. The defense line or block was very compact. There was a lot of space between the lines,' Touré explains in detail. Individual Brilliance Within the Team Collective Many an edition ago, teams on the continent relied heavily on individual players to carry teams throughout the WAFCON and at other major tournaments. However, at this particular WAFCON edition, it is more evident than ever that teams must dig deeper to attain results and not just rely on their star players. Shipanga, who is the only female National Technical Director in Africa, explains, 'Of course, it is very important to have individual players who standout. For instance, look at the importance of Barbara Banda [Zambia], Jackie, Esther Okoronkwo [Nigeria], Rasheedat Ajibade [Nigeria]. These are exceptional players. We have noticed that extreme sole dependence is shifting. We are seeing more of a unit within teams.' 'Look at Ghana, you cannot single out one exceptional player. Even Nigeria, starting from the disciplined organization of the defenders. Mali, look at their midfielders. The versatility has been impressive. The coaches are now interchanging the movement of these players. We have seen the impact of substitutes in games. The tacticial awareness that has come from the coaches. Look at Sanaa Msoudy coming from the bench and her impact on Morocco,' she explains. Shipanga further digs deeper into the impact of binational players and their impact on this WAFCON, 'Clearly, they bring an impact to the competition. When it comes to Women's Football, this is playing a huge role. Look at Ghana. This is simply because of their physical strength but also where do they play.' 'They have consistent competitions, and the player pathway has a huge advantage. At age 10 or 12, they are already playing in a club setup that has facilities. We are in Morocco, they have the best facilities, attract the best players, competitions and are indispensable. We need more of our players to experience that. There is never going to be a substitute. We cannot say that one is better. It is up to the coaches to make the best out of their potential.' From CAFWCL to WAFCON When Boumehdi lifted the CAF Women's Champions League 2024 with TP Mazembe, she made history as the first ever female head coach to lift the trophy in its fourth season. Her experience over the years coaching Moroccan junior teams including the U20s gave her the opportunity to shine and learn the ropes of the trade. With the introduction of the continent's first inter-club competition, Boumehdi speaks to the importance of the CAFWCL and how it has provided more high level competition for the players featuring for teams in Africa and how eventually this experience supliments that of those that play overseas in major leagues in Europe, the USA and Asia. 'We need this for the development of Women's Football. Our players must compete in as many competitions as possible. There is no development without competitions. That is why we proposed to create another championship on the continent to give ample time to teams and players to make progress. The CAF Women's Champions League provides an opportunity to players who play on the continent to be exposed to high level competition. There is significant progress at the fitness level. We saw players who displayed a high display of fitness here at the WAFCON from the CAF Women's Champions League.' Star players like Merveille Kanjinga who won the latter trophy last year with Boumehdi went on to join PSG in France and featured for the DR Congo while youngsters like Evelyn Badu and Comfort Yeboah stood out for Ghana going all the way to the semifinals for the first time since 2016. Technology, Video Analysis and AI There is no running away from technology in football now. This WAFCON in Morocco has seen a huge spike in the use of technology by teams with the hiring of video analysts as part of their pre-game preparations, direct communication between video analysts who are situated in the stands during the game with the technical bench as well as data-based decisions during the halftime break. 'My expertise lies in data. When I look at this tournament, it has become criticial to use data. It plays a huge role in the tournament. I cannot imagine a coach sending out players to war without substancial information. I look at the game plan that for instance Senegal did for their game against South Africa [quarterfinal] and I could see that they knew how to stop the Banyana Banyana. They made it difficult for them,' explains the former Banyana Banyana Performance Analyst. 'Senegal knew who was going to change the game on the South African side. That has become so important. When I look back to the WAFCON 2016, I was the only Performance Analyst at the tournament but then things started changing. In 2019, as we [South Africa] were preparing for the World Cup in France, CAF helped with data. In 2023 ahead of the World Cup in Australia and New Zealands, we had a company that supported us. And you can see that led to three of the participating four African teams making it to the Round of 16 [Nigeria, South Africa and debutants Morocco]. There was no chance this would have happened without the use of data. Preparing for games especially at major tournaments requires careful planning. It is great to see that teams have now seen the importance of data.' Booysen stipulates that coaches at the WAFCON would be keen to see whether the players are sticking to the pre-match agreements and the plan is being followed to the dot. 'If the analyst sees a gap, she or he might need to alert the technical bench. It could be who is not being picked up, who are the players that are not playing their part. In fact, the analysts might even provide clips to the coaches for them to further assess the situation.' 'Football is all about winning. If you see for instance South Africa had to make two forced substitutes in their semifinal against Nigeria [Hildah Magaia and Noxolo Cesane coming on after injuries to two starters, how did this change the team's plan at hand? Also, the analyst has a better view of the game courtesy of being in the stands. They can see the game better.' Women Coaches at the WAFCON WAFCON 2022 winning coach Desiree Ellis (South Africa) and Swiss tactician Nora Hüptle at the helm of Zambia were the only female head coaches at this WAFCON. Booysen believes that there is space for more female coaches on the continent to feature at the big stage. 'I think if we want to grow. That is one of the areas that we need to improve. Member associations need to identify areas where they want to develop. If I look at the Europeans, the EUROs have 44% of women coaches at the current tournament and we have 15% - which is two coaches. There are several female assistant coaches. Of course, males play a huge role in Women's Football but so do the females. What more can they do because when we look at the number of CAF A Licensed Coaches, there is a huge amount. The Member Associations need to reflect to do better. If we want to change the narrative, the coaches are there. It is up to the MAs. For instance, in South Africa, all our female teams are coached by women.' Touré (2008), Ellis (2022) and Florence Omagbemi (2016) with Nigeria are the only female coaches to lift the WAFCON since its inception in 1998.
TimesLIVE
5 days ago
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
‘We'll do this for Gabi,' says Ellis as Banyana fight for bronze at Wafcon
Banyana Banyana want to at least come back from the Women's Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) with the bronze medal in honour of injured teammate Gabriela Salgado. Salgado suffered a broken leg as the defending champions relinquished their crown to nine-time champions Nigeria with a 2-1 semifinal defeat in Casablanca, Morocco on Tuesday. Banyana coach Desiree Ellis said they will dedicate Friday's third-place playoff game to Salgado and play for the bronze when they meet Ghana, losers on penalties in their semifinal against Morocco, at Casablanca's Stade Larbi Zaouli on Friday (9pm). The final between the hosts and Super Falcons is at Stade Olympique de Rabat on Saturday (10pm). Salgado was successfully operated on at Mohammed VI University Hospital in Casablanca, but is likely to spend six months on the sidelines. Banyana coach Desiree Ellis said she had to play a different role for distraught Banyana players — like midfielder Linda Motlhalo — when they could not keep hold of their emotions after Salgado's horror injury on Tuesday. 'I was a mother, and I was just trying to say to her, 'Stay calm, just do that for Gabi'. That was the talk: 'Do that for Gabi and make sure you get over the line for Gabi', because that's what it was all about at that moment. 'It was very difficult to keep them calm because a lot of them broke down. Going back onto the field I think some were still crying and I think that's really what got to them.' 🏆 𝕎𝔸𝔽ℂ𝕆ℕ 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟜 🏆 ⚽️ ⒼⓄⒶⓁ: Nigeria restore their lead against Banyana Banyana. 🇳🇬 2⃣➖1⃣ 🇿🇦 🚨 LIVE 📺 SABC Sport | SABC 3 📱 #SABCSportFootball #TotalEnergiesWAFCON2024 — SABC Sport (@SABC_Sport) July 22, 2025 Saslgado's injury came late in the semifinal with the scores at 1-1 and minutes later Banyana conceded a fluke-ish goal when Michelle Azolie's speculative cross evaded Nigeria's attackers and Banyana's defenders and goalkeeper Andile Dlamini for the 94th-minute decider. Ellis accepted South Africa had failed to defend their trophy but said she is hoping her players will have recovered enough to focus and win Friday's match against Ghana. 'Look there's nothing we can do. There's two days — a recovery day and two days. Again, when we huddled after the game we said if we didn't have a reason [to win on Friday], now have a reason to play for Gabi. 'That's what it [the third-place game] is all about, to make sure she goes off with a medal and to make sure Jermaine Seoposenwe [who retires from international football after Wafcon] also goes off well. That's how important it is.' Banyana have an advantage in that they have already defeated Ghana 2-0 in this tournament in their round-robin stage opener, where Motlhalo and Seoposenwe provided the goals to set up Banyana topping Group C. Ghana also progressed to the last 8 as they finished second after their 4-1 victory over Tanzania in their final group match. The Black Queens improve as the tournament progressed and beat Algeria on penalties in the quarterfinals to set up their semifinal against Morocco, who they pushed all the way with a 1-1 draw in 120 minutes before being defeated by spot-kicks. So the Black Queens Banyana face on Feriday night should be a notably stronger combination from the side they faced in the opening game in Oujda. But Banyana have an advantage in that they didn't have to travel after their defeat against Nigeria, but Ghana had to move from Rabat to Casablanca.
CAF
5 days ago
- Sport
- CAF
Nigeria, South Africa unite to visit Salgado after horror injury
A lot can happen in 24 hours. And such is life. For South African defender Gabriela Salgado, the semifinal between the reigning African champions Banyana Banyana and nine-time continental winners at the ongoing TotalEnergies WAFCON 2024 was an exciting opportunity for her to showcase her expertise. On Monday, July 21, Salgado had showed up for the pre-match press conference in high spirits, answered every question asked by the South African, Nigerian and international media at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium in Casablanca. Her vibrant energy was felt throughout the packed press conference room ahead of what has been established as the biggest rivalry in Women's Football in Africa. She spoke with excitement and promised to make South Africa proud. She continuously spoke with positivity pointing at her teammates' togetherness throughout the tournament and what it means for her to finally feature at Africa's biggest showpiece. The 28-year-old, who features for JVW in the South African topflight league, had previously missed out on representing her nation at the WAFCON 2022 in Morocco after she sustained an almost career-ending injury in the week leading up to the tournament. Her presence at the current edition where she started on the bench for Banyana Banyana in their opening two games before earning her spot in the starting lineup speaks to her resilience and never-give-up attitude. 'We know we're going into the semifinal game, it's going to be a challenge, but we are physically and mentally prepared. We know the responsibility we hold, and we just look forward to a good game and hopefully finishing it within the 90 minutes,' Salgado had said prior to the match. Until Salgado's injury, the tie was at 1-1 after an Ajibade penalty opened the scoring for Nigeria before South Africa equalized through a Linda Motlhalo penalty. 'Every game that we play we take our lessons, and we obviously take it into the next game and improving what we learned from that game. Just going into this game, I think the Senegal game of course brought us together as a team, we saw the desire, the hunger in each other's eyes and it brought us just closer together knowing how we'll need each other going into the next game. I think the team is prepared, we're ready, we know what we have to do, and I think everyone is just on the same page and we are excited for the game.' This excitement could be seen when Salgado and her teammates stepped off the bus and sang their way to the away dressing room – full of energy and ready to face the mountain in front of them that was Nigeria. But as fate would have it, Salgado suffered a horrific injury. The reaction of both sets of players alerted those watching the game inside the Larbi Zaouli Stadium and across the world. Hands on their heads, some in tears, others with their heads to the grass and some took to the technical benches for comfort. The South African Football Association (SAFA) has released a statement with the Banyana Banyana doctor Lindi Mokoena saying, 'Gabi [Salgado] sustained a fracture of the mid-shaft of her left leg during the fixture against Nigeria and underwent a successful surgery at the Mohamed VI University Hospital in Casablanca. She will be out of action for the rest of the year, but we are pleased that she received exceptional care from the medical team of Banyana Banyana, CAF and the hospital. We were fully confident and comfortable with the procedure being performed in Morocco and would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to CAF and the dedicated staff at the Mohamed VI University Hospital for their professionalism and outstanding support during this time.' Ramaphosa Message of Support South African President Cyril Ramaphosa sent a message of support to Salgado saying, 'Today, our thoughts are with Banyana Banyana's @G_Salgado9 as we wish Gabriela a comfortable and speedy recovery from her traumatic injury in last night's WAFCON semi-final against a victorious Nigeria. I know you're a woman of deep and public faith, Gabriela, and you're a woman of bravery and skill on the pitch. The nation wishes you well. Casablanca was always going to be a tough ask for our national team as Africa's defending champions and Nigeria's breakthrough in referee's optional proved this. We are confident Banyana Banyana will regroup and return to WAFCON as future champs. We wish Nigeria's Super Falcons and Morocco's Atlas Lionesses well for Saturday's dream home final for the host nation.' Today, our thoughts are with Banyana Banyana's @G_Salgado9 as we wish Gabriela a comfortable and speedy recovery from her traumatic injury in last night's WAFCON semi-final against a victorious Nigeria. I know you're a woman of deep and public faith, Gabriela, and you're a woman… — Cyril Ramaphosa 🇿🇦 (@CyrilRamaphosa) July 23, 2025 Nigeria Super Falcons visit Salgado In pure show of class and sportswomanship, the Super Falcons of Nigeria showed up at the Mohamed VI University Hospital in Casablanca to visit Salgado after sending messages to her on social media across several platforms. Fans across the world have praised this visit as a showcase of humanity and how football brings the world together. As the great icon of South Africa Nelson Mandela once said, 'Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does.' Nigeria and South Africa have met a record 12 times at the WAFCON.
