South Africa’ senior women’s team, Banyana Banyana have safely arrived in Morocco and are already hard at work as they fine-tune their preparations for the 2026 CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), which gets underway from 26 July to 16 August.
They did not waste time soon after touching down as they quickly shifted their focus to the task ahead, holding two high-intensity training sessions as they continued their build-up to the continental showpiece.
Coach Dr Desiree Ellis’ side will begin the redemption mission to reclaim the title they won in 2022 but only to stumble and failed to defend the trophy last year after they were booted out in the semifinals. Banyana Banyana take on Tanzania in their opening Group D fixture on Monday, 27 July.
They will then face Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso in the remaining group matches as they look to secure a place in the knockout stages.
Despite the lengthy journey from South Africa, Ellis said the players have adapted well and are already settling into life in Morocco.
“It was a long travel, but we’ve had two sessions now trying to acclimatise to the heat as we are coming from a cold South Africa. Fortunately, for now, it’s not as hot as it was last year. We had really good sessions, and now we are looking forward to the rest of the week,” said Ellis.
The Banyana coach also welcomed the arrival of the team’s overseas-based stars, with Thembi Kgatlana and Amogelang Motau arriving from Mexico, Bongeka Gamede from Denmark and Linda Motlhalo from Scotland.
Kgatlana and Gamede have already joined their teammates on the training field, while Motau and Motlhalo are expected to participate in their first sessions on Wednesday.
“It’s very exciting to have them. We have sat down with them to show them what we did last week and to continue with preparations. Of course, it’s only a couple of days to g, and we need to make sure that everybody understands what it is that we need to do,” Ellis added.
One of the notable inclusions in the 26-player squad is midfielder Robyn Moodaly-Salgado, who returns to the national team for the first time since the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
The experienced midfielder, who played a key role in South Africa’s historic WAFCON triumph four years ago, expressed her delight at wearing the national colours once again.
“Obviously, I haven’t been here for a while, so I am really excited to be back wearing national team colours. It’s super exciting being back, being welcomed again, and playing the game with old teammates and just being back in the WAFCON setup.
“I’m ecstatic. New expectations, new goals, new year. We want to qualify for the World Cup, and we want to bring it home again,” she said.
With confidence high and the squad now complete, Banyana Banyana will spend the remaining days sharpening both their fitness and tactical preparations before launching their title chase mission.
In addition to continental glory, there is even greater motivation for all participating nations, with the tournament also serving as a pathway to the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil, where the top four teams will secure automatic qualification.
As the countdown to kick-off continues, South Africans will once again look to Ellis and her talented squad to make history by retaining their African crown and booking an early ticket to the global showpiece.