Banyana heroines slay Tunisia to reach Wafcon semis and 2023 World Cup

SA football’s Banyana Banyana heroines qualified for their second Fifa Women’s World Cup and kept their 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) dream alive with Thursday night’s 1-0 quarterfinal win against Tunisia.

Again, the SA women should have won by more than excellent striker Jermaine Seoposenwe’s 14th-minute winner, poor finishing again the blemish for the otherwise in-form women’s national team at Stade Prince Moulay EL Hassan in Rabat, Morocco.

Banyana, unlike a flat performance in their 1-0 win against Botswana that made it three wins from three for SA in Group C on Sunday, controlled the quarterfinal. SA, though, will be aware they still have a gear or two to go up if they are to lift a trophy in Morocco.

It was not a performance to match the fluency of SA’s stirring 2-1 opening win of the tournament against 11-time champions Nigeria, but Banyana went about their job with a similar calm professionalism.

They put aside fears that the injury to key striker Thembi Kgatlana and an outbreak of Covid-19 among some players — the exact number of whom the SA Football Association has kept secret for unfathomable reasons — could derail their hopes in the quarters.

Banyana, seeking a first Wafcon win after being runners-up five times, meet Zambia, quarterfinal winners over Senegal on penalties, in Monday’s semifinal in Casablanca.

Nigeria, who beat Cameroon 1-0 in Thursday's earlier quarter, face Morocco in Monday's other semifinal. 

By reaching the last four the South Africans completed their not-so-small first objective of including themselves among the 32 teams who will compete in the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in July and August next year.

Seoposenwe had been among those who limped off injured against Botswana. Her presence, and rampant performance in attack, were crucial to SA’s win against Tunisia.

Banyana controlled possession and stroked the ball around with authority, making Tunisia chase shadows in the opening half. The only blemish was they could have produced more chances given their level of dominance.

Tunisia were technically far below SA on the ball. The north Africans were physical, though Banyana were able to expose some coordination issues in their central defence, especially early on.

SA piled on the pressure from the 10th to 14th minutes, resulting in their opener.

Seoposenwe danced through the middle but could not get the power on her shot to beat goalkeeper Soulayma Jebrani. Moments later midfielder Nomvula Kgoale drove high.

Then Seoposenwe received a cross, via a miscued Tunisian clearance, brought the ball down perfectly and ran through the middle again, this time making no mistake slotting low past Jebrani.

Ten minutes back from the break the irrepressible Seoposenwe beat offside on the right and dragged the ball back for Noxolo Cesane, who could not find an exposed goal from 15 metres.

With 10 minutes left Seoposenwe’s cross was perfectly placed to pick out substitute Melinda Kgadiete in space in the middle of the box to chest down and volley over.