Banyana Banyana are heading into a defining November showdown in Morocco, with Chinese Taipei, Ecuador and Uzbekistan standing between South Africa and the next step towards the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
Head coach Dr Desiree Ellis has named her 23-player squad for the high-stakes play-off tournament, knowing that there is little room for error as the African champions fight to keep their World Cup ambitions alive.
The tournament, which runs from 28 November to 5 December at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Rabat, will demand consistency, character and clinical finishing from a South African side determined to secure one of the two available places in the final qualifying round.
Ellis has largely retained the core of the team that recently swept aside Madagascar in back-to-back Olympic Games qualifiers in Bloemfontein. Denmark-based midfielder Sibulele Holweni is among the headline inclusions, earning her first call-up since moving to Europe last month.
However, Banyana will have to cope without their experienced captain Refiloe Jane in their opening encounter after she picked up two yellow cards during the WAFCON play-off clash against Nigeria in August, resulting in a one-match suspension.
Ellis admitted that squad selection had not been straightforward, with examinations, injuries and passport complications ruling several players out of contention.
“There were other players that we were looking at but due to exams, injuries and lack of valid passports, we had to omit them. But we are happy with the selections we have made as they give us a balanced squad that we believe will get the required outcomes in Morocco,” said Ellis.
The South Africans will face Chinese Taipei in their opening assignment on Saturday, 28 November, at 16:00 SA time. They return to action against Ecuador on Tuesday, 1 December, at 21:00 before wrapping up their preliminary campaign against Uzbekistan on Saturday, 5 December, at 19:00.
Ghana and Papua New Guinea are also competing in the tournament, but the equation is simple: only the top two nations will advance to the final qualification stage in February 2027.
For Ellis, the opening match against Chinese Taipei could prove decisive in determining whether Banyana build momentum or find themselves under immediate pressure.
“This is not the route we wanted to go, but we are here now. We are all aware that we have to get one of the top two spots, which makes the first match the most important because it sets the tone for the rest of the competition,” she said.
The coach warned that the demanding schedule leaves little time to recover between matches, making a positive start absolutely crucial.
“With a positive result we will give ourselves the required momentum as well as a huge boost because the games are going to come thick and fast. We know that in these tournaments there’s not a lot of time in between, hence I emphasise that the opening match will be very crucial. We get that right and we stand a good chance of progressing,” added Ellis.
The stakes will rise even higher in February, when six nations battle in single-knockout fixtures for three remaining tickets to Brazil. The two successful teams from the Morocco tournament will join four other qualifiers, one from UEFA, one from CONMEBOL and two from CONCACAF.
Only three will survive that final hurdle and book their places at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Banyana will assemble for their training camp on 18 November before flying to Morocco the following day.
The road to Brazil starts in Morocco.
