Banyana Banyana suffer late defeat in WAFCON 2026 opener

Defending champions Banyana Banyana will have to regroup quickly after their TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) Morocco 2026 campaign began with a narrow 2-1 defeat to Tanzania in Casablanca on Monday.

Despite spending long periods on the front foot and creating several promising opportunities, South Africa could not turn their dominance into enough goals.

As reported by SuperSport, Tanzania made the most of their chances to secure three valuable points in a tightly contested Group B encounter.

The result places added importance on Banyana’s remaining group-stage fixtures against Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso, with only the top two teams progressing to the quarterfinals.

The tournament also carries extra significance, as the leading teams will move a step closer to qualifying for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

South Africa found themselves behind before the break when Tanzania capitalised on a swift attacking move, but Banyana responded before half-time through experienced defender Bambanani Mbane, whose close-range header restored parity and ensured the teams headed into the interval level.

The second half followed a familiar pattern, with South Africa searching for the breakthrough while Tanzania remained dangerous on the counterattack. Several opportunities went begging for Banyana, including chances that narrowly missed the target and another denied by resolute goalkeeping.

With the match appearing to drift towards a draw, Hasnath Ubamba produced the decisive moment late in the contest, driving into the penalty area before beating goalkeeper Andile Dlamini with a low finish that proved enough to separate the sides.

Although the defeat is an early setback rather than a defining result, it leaves Desiree Ellis’ side with little room for error in the matches ahead.

The defending African champions now face increased pressure to collect positive results if they are to extend their stay in Morocco and keep their World Cup qualification hopes firmly on track.

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Source: SuperSport