Banyana Banyana have booked their place in the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) after beating DR Congo 1-0 in a second-leg qualifier (2-1 on aggregate) played at the Dobsonville Stadium on Tuesday night.

The South African senior women’s national team officially qualified for the continental tournament after a dramatic 1–0 victory courtesy of a lone strike from Thembi Kgatlana.

After drawing 1–1 in Kinshasa during the first leg last week, Banyana Banyana entered the return fixture with a crucial away-goal advantage. The task was clear – protect their defensive line and avoid conceding, while looking for an insurance goal to seal qualification.

That decisive moment arrived in the final minute of the game when Kgatlana delivered the winner to secure South Africa’s place at WAFCON 2026, which will be hosted by Morocco in March next year.

“I mentioned yesterday that we had to win and yes, we were frustrated towards the end of the game because it was 0-0 and they were coming at us. I give credit to the defenders for absorbing the pressure,” says interim coach Thinasonke Mbuli, who was in charge in the absence of Dr Desiree Ellis, who’s still yet to finalize a new contract with the South African Football Association (SAFA).

“We have a window that’s coming up now in November, which is the last FIFA window for the year. We are hoping we can get a friendly match because the tricky part for us now is that WAFCON is in March and our league is off during that time.

“Our players will be off in December, and by the beginning of March, WAFCON kicks off. We are going to have to find a balance between players going off-season and remaining active.”

Lebohang Ramalepe was named Queen of the Match for her outstanding defensive display and leadership at the back.