Africa: Banyana Banyana Victory Shows the Sky Is the Limit for South Africa's Female Footballers When Properly Resourced

Tevarak Phanduang.Unsplash
Soccer ball on grass green field
31 July 2022
Daily Maverick (Johannesburg)
analysis By Yanga Sibembe

Lifting the Women's Africa Cup of Nations was a fantastic achievement and South Africa's players deserve all the praise they get.

Since they conquered the rest of the continent at the 2022 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) tournament in Morocco earlier this month, South Africa's female footballers, Banyana Banyana, have been showered with praise from all quarters.

They deserve it, having waited for almost three decades to capture the prestigious trophy. Players past and present are soaking up the plaudits.

Banyana Banyana have had to settle for Wafcon silver medals five times, falling just short of gold each time, with the most recent heartbreak coming in 2018. On that occasion, the South Africans were edged out on penalties by regular rivals Nigeria.

Now, with their 2-1 win in the final, over a Moroccan side backed by tens of thousands of local fans in Rabat, the South Africans have finally exorcised the ghosts of Wafcons past - qualifying for a second consecutive Fifa World Cup in the process.

The 2023 World Cup will be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand and will be Banyana Banyana's second appearance at the pinnacle tournament after they made their debut three years ago. They...

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