There’s hardly been a year recently when Banyana Banyana failed to generate positive attention vibes — and 2023 was no different.
Desiree Ellis’s charges climbed to new heights this year, especially with remarkable performances at the 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup in Australasia. It was Banyana’s second appearance at the global showpiece and the African champions managed to bury the ghost of 2019 in France where they went home pointless after losing all three group matches.
Banyana faced Sweden, Italy and Argentina in New Zealand and Ellis’s team emerged as one of the surprise packages alongside Jamaica, Nigeria and Morocco as they made it to the last 16.
It was a huge achievement as pre-tournament title contenders such as Brazil, Canada and Germany crashed out in the first round in an edition eventually won by Spain, who beat England in the final.
Banyana had a nervous start in New Zealand when Hilda Magaia’s 48th minute opener gave Sweden a scare. Banyana eventually lost the match 2-1 after conceding a last-minute goal, but that performance seemed to propel them to work harder in their remaining group matches against Argentina and Italy.
Ellis’s side dominated against the Argentinians, leading 2-0 through Linda Motlhalo (30) and Thembi Kgatlana’s (66) goals until they allowed the South Americans to level the score late in the match via strikes by Romina Nunez (74) and Sophia Braun (74).
With Italy managing to beat Argentina after losing to Sweden, Banyana needed victory to progress to the next round for the first time in a World Cup tournament — a feat that their male counterparts, Bafana Bafana, are yet to achieve.
The Italians, who needed a draw in their final group match, looked to be cruising to an easy victory after opening the scoring with Arianna Caruso’s 11th minute spot kick, but their goalkeeper Benedetta Orsi’s own goal ensured the tie went to half-time on a knife edge with a 1-1 score-line.
South Africa went crazy when Magaia, aptly nicknamed “Breadwinner”, gave Banyana a 2-1 lead in the 67th minute. But it looked hopeless when Banyana allowed Caruso to complete her brace in the 74th minute. However, Kgatlana, who had taken over the Banyana captaincy after Refiloe Jane got injured in the first match against Sweden, had the final say, sweeping home the winner after combining well with Magaia who could have scored the goal herself.
With that victory over the Italians, Banyana were off to Sydney to face one of the favourites, Netherlands. Perhaps overwhelmed by the occasion, Banyana performed without much confidence and lost the match 2-0 after conceding goals in both halves.
But given the low expectations South Africans had when Banyana left for the World Cup in July, their achievement was remarkable — especially after one the nasty send-offs the South African Football Association gave them.
Banyana players refused to play a final farewell match against Botswana on a poor pitch in Tsakane in the east of Johannesburg. There were also intense disputes about player and staff salaries which were still unresolved when Banyana landed in New Zealand.
To cap an extraordinary year, Ellis not only won Caf’s Best Female Coach of the Year award recently but she also finished the year on a high as she ensured Banyana qualified for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) in Morocco next year where they’ll be defending the crown they won in 2022.
Kgatlana, who spent the best part of 2023 on crutches after a knee injury she suffered at the Wafcon tournament in Morocco in 2022, underlined how good she was when she scored a nomination for Africa’s Women Player of the Year. Kgatlana capped the year with a lucrative move to Mexican club Tigers from Racing Louisville of US.
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