Latest news with #LionessesofTeranga
The Citizen
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
Ellis hails Banyana after hard-fought victory over Senegal
'I said the game was not going to be easy," said Ellis. Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis was full of praise for her charges after they defeated Senegal on penalties to reach the semifinals of the CAF Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON). South Africa beat the Lionesses of Teranga 4-1 in a penalty shootout in a quarterfinal clash played at the Honneur Stadium in Oujda, Morocco on Saturday. The game had to be decided on penalties after the sides were locked at 0-0 after extra-time. READ MORE: Dlamini the hero as Banyana beat Senegal to reach WAFCON semis Banyana will now face Nigeria, whothrashedZambia 5-0 on Friday, in Tuesday's first semi-final in Casablanca. 'I said the game was not going to be easy, I said it was going to be a difficult game because of the group they were in and how they got out – and we didn't expect anything less,' Ellis told SAFA media. 'The first 15 minutes we showed a bit of nerves, trying to get into the game but once we got into the game, we nullified the threat, their two tall strikers. We dealt very well with their long ball, but sometimes we gave the ball away too cheaply. Senegal has improved from the last time we played them, the coach has done a fantastic job.' Ellis praise Banyana's never-say-die attitude Banyana goalkeeper Andile Dlamini made two great saves in the penalty shootout, while Karabo Dhlamini, Tiisetso Makhubela, Gabriela Salgado and Bambanani Mbane all converted their spot kicks to help Banyana move one step closer to retaining their WAFCON crown. 'We have been practicing penalties, and we knew who our kickers were going to be and that's why we made the changes we made. We always knew that Andile can save one or two – she had done it before. 'This was our first penalty shoot victory in the WAFCON – we lost it in 2006 and in 2018 in the final. I don't have enough words to describe this team – the resilience, the courage, the never-say-die attitude, the willingness to fight for each other. No matter what they threw at us we were able to withstand that,' added Ellis. South Africa will now meet their nemesis Nigeria will meet in a blockbuster semifinal clash at Stade Larbi Zaouli in Casablanca on Tuesday. 'We are not thinking about Nigeria right now, we will think about the next match tomorrow. Let's celebrate what we have done,' concluded Ellis.
TimesLIVE
4 days ago
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
Banyana take aim at Senegal in tricky Wafcon quarterfinal in Morocco
Banyana Banyana midfielder Linda Motlhalo has cautioned against complacency when they take on less-fancied Senegal in the quarterfinal stage of the Caf Women's Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon). South Africa are favourites going into Saturday's clash at the Honneur Stadium in Oujda, Morocco, but vastly experienced Motlhalo said they must be on top of their game if they are to stay on course to defend their title. Banyana topped Group C with seven points — two wins and a draw — while the Lionesses of Teranga scraped through as one of the third-best placed finishers after defeats to Morocco and Zambia and a win over DR Congo. 'We played against Senegal before and they are a very good team,' said Motlhalo who was part of the squad that faced Senegal last year. 'They are growing and so are other African teams. From when we played them to now, there is a huge difference. They also have players that have now signed for overseas teams, which says a lot about Senegal. 'They are looking good, but we have a plan,' said Motlhalo. Banyana coach Desiree Ellis is not taking any chances and said they must keep a clean sheet. 'It's going to be a game of those small margins — the final and knockout games are never easy. So we really have to make sure that we are in charge in everything that we do. 'We do as best as we can. But keeping a clean sheet will also be of utmost importance.' The last time they met in two friendlies in Dakar, the first match was a draw and the second a 2-0 victory for South Africa thanks to goals from Amogelang Motau and Noxolo Cesane. 'Playing a team before doesn't mean anything, those results are in the past, this is a competition and they are not in the quarterfinals by fluke. They are there because they deserve to be there and we have to be on top of our game to make sure that we get the result,' added Ellis. For the West Africans, they have matched their best finish of the last eight in 2022 and they intend to go further. 'South Africa are the favourites, they are the better team and we are the challengers. A win will be good for Senegal because it will be the first time we win this round, but we will need confidence, not give in to pressure and show Senegalese football in this competition. 'We are also happy to be playing against top teams on the continent like Morocco, Zambia and now South Africa,' said Senegal coach Mousse Cisse.
eNCA
4 days ago
- Sport
- eNCA
Banyana on cusp of FIFA World Cup qualification
JOHANNESBURG - Banyana Banyana meet Senegal in the Women's Afcon quarter-finals on Saturday. South Africa go into the encounter as favourites, since they're the defending Afcon champions and have beaten the Lionesses of Teranga twice in three meetings.
Daily Maverick
4 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Maverick
Banyana Banyana out to tame Senegal's Lionesses in crunch Wafcon quarterfinal clash
Reigning African champions Banyana Banyana are aiming to take a major step towards defending their title when they battle Senegal in the Women's Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinals. The contest is scheduled for Saturday, 19 July at 9pm. The last time Banyana Banyana lost a match at the Women's Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) was when they were defeated 1-0 by Ghana during the bronze medal playoff of the 2016 edition. Since then, Desiree Ellis' team have been nearly impenetrable at the continental tournament. The South Africans also lost on penalties to Nigeria in the 2018 final, after the teams could not be separated during a nil-all draw. However, that match was technically recorded as a stalemate. To maintain their impressive Wafcon run, Banyana Banyana will need to navigate a tricky Senegalese side in their quarterfinal tussle. Stubborn Lionesses Despite qualifying for the last eight via the 'backdoor' as one of the two best third-placed teams, the Lionesses of Teranga will be another tough test for Ellis and her charges. They finished third in a group that was dominated by title hopefuls Zambia and Morocco, but the Senegalese were never embarrassed during the group phase. They went blow for blow with Zambia's Copper Queens, narrowly losing 3-2. They frustrated tournament hosts Morocco, with the latter nation needing a Yasmin Mrabet penalty to squeeze 1-0 past the stubborn Lionesses. It was against the Democratic Republic of Congo that Senegal's potential was on full display, as they fired on all cylinders to thrash the Congolese 4-0. They can definitely play, and Banyana Banyana will be wary heading into Saturday night's quarterfinal. 'They've shown in a very difficult group that they can fight it out with the best, and we have to be at our absolute best to get a result, because it's not going to be easy. No game has been easy at this Wafcon, it shows that teams on the continent are improving. Every Fifa international window there are countries playing,' said Ellis. 'This Wafcon is not just a one-sided tournament where you can predict an outcome. The games are so tight and it's one moment of magic or one moment of madness, then that's it. This shows how tight the games are, so we have to be on top of our game against Senegal. They showed [their quality] against Zambia and Morocco, where they had very tight games,' the Banyana Banyana coach added. Banyana are ready Senegal and Banyana Banyana are no strangers; the two teams tussled in June 2024, with South Africa registering a 3-1 aggregate victory during the double-header of international friendlies. A year later, the two nations meet under much more strenuous conditions, in a contest in which the winner will reach the Wafcon semifinals and the loser returns home. Victory for the Senegalese would mark their first passage beyond the Wafcon quarterfinals. Banyana Banyana, on the other hand, are aiming for a seventh overall Wafcon final. Taming the Lionesses would bring the 2022 African champions to within one victory of achieving this impressive feat. But their eyes are also on the overall prize. 'We've managed to watch a few clips, obviously they are in the tournament as well. But we've been doing a lot of video sessions to analyse them, so that we can have a gameplan… Then we just need to go out there, stick to the plan and do our best,' fullback Gabriela Salgado told Banyana Banyana's media department. 'We have our country expecting us to do well. But we also owe it to ourselves [to get another good result]; we've worked so hard to be where we are now. We want to defend the title, everyone is on the same page,' Salgado said. If it's not broken, don't fix it It has been a theme so far at this Wafcon for South Africa to fight it out with teams that are physically imposing. Defender Karabo Dhlamini believes there is no need for Banyana Banyana to alter their approach for the Senegalese. The team plans to continue playing its brand of South African soccer. This consists of keeping the ball on the ground and weaving quick passes that usually leave their opponents in a daze. 'Senegal is a good team. We know they have tall players, which is something we lack. But we have played against teams with taller players and dealt well with them, meaning we're ready to cope with that again against Senegal. At the end of the day, it will be 11 against 11 — same ball. To beat Senegal, we need to stick to our style of play,' Dhlamini was quoted as saying by SowetanLive. Dhlamini has been part of a stingy Banyana Banyana defence that has conceded just once in their three Wafcon outings to date — the 1-1 draw against Tanzania in their second group game. She, alongside the likes of Bambanani Mbane and right-back Fikile Magama, will be expected to thwart the Lionesses. Up front, the search for goals will rest primarily on the shoulders of Jermaine Seoposenwe, while Hildah Magaia and Linda Motlhalo are also capable of creating magic in attacking moments. Young striker Ronnel Donnelly scored her first senior goal during the 4-0 winner over Mali earlier this week, so she is another forward threat. DM
The Citizen
6 days ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
‘Very crucial' for Banyana to win against Senegal
'We have managed to watch a few clips of them so far," said Salgado. Gabriela Salgado says Banyana Banyana must win their game against Senegal if they are to achieve their objectives of defending the Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title. Banyana will meet the Lionesses of Teranga in a quarterfinal clash at the Honneur Stadium in Oujda on Saturday (kick off is at 9pm (SA time). ALSO READ: Ellis delighted with 'statement' Banyana win Salgado says they have done a thorough assessment of their opponents, and if they stick to their game plan, they'll emerge victorious. 'We have managed to watch a few clips of them so far. And we will be doing a lot of video sessions to analyse them so that we can plan properly for them going into the game,' said Salgado. 'So, we will have to go out there, stick to the plan, and do our best. This will be a crucial game for us because we owe it to ourselves. We work very hard and want to defend our title. 'Everyone is on the same page and has the same goal. So it will be very crucial for us to win and go further in the competition,' she added. Salgado 'honoured' to be in Morocco Salgado, who came off the bench in Banyana's 4-0 victory over Mali on Monday, says she is honoured to have finally gotten an opportunity to represent her country at the WAFCON. 'It is a great honour for me to be here [in Morocco] and to represent my country. Because, as you know, I missed out on the last WAFCON due to injury. 'So, it is an honour for me to be here. But it has not been an easy tournament for us so far, because every team we have faced has come out guns blazing to beat us, since we are the defending champions. But we managed to deal with the pressure and stuck together as a team to make it to the quarterfinals,' she added. ALSO READ: Tanzanian club submits loan offer for Chiefs goalkeeper – report Meanwhile, coach Desiree Ellis says Banyana would have to be at their best if they are to overcome Senegal. 'We have a couple of days to have a good look at them, but they've shown in a very difficult group that they can fight it out with the best, and we have to be at our absolute best to get a result because again it's not going to be easy,' said Ellis.
