South Africa begin WAFCON title defence with victory over Ghana

South Africa’s Banyana Banyana kicked off their 2024 TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) campaign with a commanding 2–0 victory over the Black Queens of Ghana in their Group C opener on Monday, July 7, in Oujda.

Early goals from Linda Motlhalo and Jermaine Seoposenwe within the first 35 minutes secured a strong start for the defending champions, who are aiming to retain their crown in the expanded 12-team tournament.

Desiree Ellis’ side looked composed and purposeful from the outset. They broke the deadlock in the 28th minute after a VAR review confirmed a penalty for a foul on Noxolo Cesane. Motlhalo converted with confidence, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way and placing her shot into the bottom-right corner.

Just minutes later, Banyana Banyana doubled their lead. Full-back Lebohang Ramalepe surged forward and delivered a perfectly weighted through ball to Seoposenwe, who finished clinically into the far corner.

Ghana, returning to the continental stage after missing the previous edition, struggled to match South Africa's pace and tactical organisation in the first half.

The Black Queens showed improvement after the break, creating several promising chances. However, they were left frustrated by poor finishing and misfortune, with both Evelyn Badu and Alice Kusi hitting the crossbar.

South African goalkeeper Andile Dlamini was instrumental in preserving the clean sheet, making several key saves during Ghana’s second-half resurgence.

Banyana Banyana managed the game efficiently in the final stages, introducing substitutes Hildah Magaia and Ronnel Donnelly to maintain control and absorb Ghana’s late pressure.

The result extends South Africa’s impressive record in WAFCON openers—they have now won their last three, including notable victories over Nigeria in 2018 and 2022.