Top Qs
Timeline
Chat
Perspective

South Africa women's national soccer team

Women's national association football team representing South Africa From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

South Africa women's national soccer team
Remove ads

The South Africa women's national football team represents South Africa in women's international soccer and is run by the South African Football Association, the governing body for Soccer in South Africa. Nicknamed Banyana Banyana (The Girls in Sesotho).

Quick facts Nickname(s), Association ...

South Africa competed in two Olympic Games, two FIFA Women's World Cups, and 14 Women's African Cup of Nations, where they were runners up five times before winning once. They also competed at all 10 COSAFA Women's Championships, where they won seven times, came second thrice and finished in fourth place once.

Remove ads

History

Summarize
Perspective

Banyana Banyana's first official match was held on 30 May 1993 against Eswatini, which they won 14–0. Future Women's AFCON winning coach Desiree Ellis played in that game and scored three of the goals[2]

Their first international match outside of Africa was against China. They played two matches which they lost 8–0 and 13–0 with the latter being the heaviest defeat in their history. The team's first victory over a nation outside of Africa was in 2000, where they beat Scotland by 2–0. This was at the Cyrus Women's Cup.[3]

South Africa's biggest win came in a COSAFA Women's Championship match in Gqeberha on 31 July 2019, when they beat the Comoros 17–0. Captain Refiloe Jane scored 4 of the goals.[4][5]

Olympic Games

They qualified for Olympic football for the first time in 2012, with coach Joseph Mkhonza.[6] Their second Olympic participation was at 2016's Rio Olympics, under coach Vera Pauw.

Women's Africa Cup of Nations

Banyana appeared in 14 CAF Women's Championships (Now known as Women's AFCON) and were runners up on five occasions (1995, 2000, 2008, 2012 and 2018) and third at two events (2006 and 2010), before eventually winning their first Women's Africa Cup of Nations in 2022, beating Morocco 2–1 in the final.[7]

FIFA Women's World Cup

Coached by Desiree Ellis, they qualified for their first FIFA Women's World Cup in 2019, in Group B with Germany, Spain and China. However, they lost all matches, and their only goal was against Spain when they went to a 1–0 lead only to lose 3–1.

South Africa qualified for the FIFA Women's World Cup again in 2023, also coached by Desiree Ellis. During the group stages they lost 2–1 to Sweden after leading 1–0, drew 2–2 against Argentina after leading 2–0, but finally defeated Italy 3–2 and advanced to the Round of 16 for the very first time. They eventually lost 2–0 to the Netherlands.[8] Following the team's performance, Desiree Ellis would win the 2023 award for CAF Women's Coach of the Year.[9]

The top goal scorers at world cups are Thembi Kgatlana with 3, Hildah Magaia with 2, while Linda Motlhalo also scored one. South Africa's other goal was an own goal by Italy in 2023.

COSAFA Women's Championship

South Africa competed in all eleven COSAFA Women's Championships – a tournament featuring nations from the Southern African region – since its inception in 2002. They have won seven titles (in 2002, 2006, 2008, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020), finished second twice (in 2011 and 2022) and only failed to win a medal twice, when they finished fourth in 2021 and exited in the group stages 2023.[10]

In later years, because of South Africa's success and increased participation in bigger world events, management started sending newcomers to COSAFA tournaments, to broaden their talent pool. This contributed to a decline in Banyana Banyana's dominance at this event.[11]

Remove ads

Team image

Nicknames

The South Africa women's national football team has been known or nicknamed as the "Banyana Banyana", which literally translates to "Girls Girls", but such double use is often interpreted to mean "all the girls". In the context of sport, it is also understood to mean "go girls, go girls".

This name is derived from the Senior Men's National team being "Bafana Bafana" which also literally means "the boys the boys". The nickname came into existence from fans shouting "bafana bafana" to mean "go boys, go boys" as encouragement during the South Africa men's team's first international game after many years of sporting isolation due to Apartheid policies in 1992, when they beat Cameroon 1–0 in Durban. The name stuck, and the female form was later applied to the women's team as well.

Thumb
Banyana Banyana starting XI at the 2022 Women's Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
Remove ads

Results and fixtures

Summarize
Perspective

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

Legend

  Win   Draw   Loss   Fixture

2024

22 October 2024 COSAFA WC GS South Africa  1–0  Namibia Gqeberha, South Africa
17:00 UTC+2 Motlogelwa 84' Report Stadium: Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium
Referee: Thanks Nyahuye (Zimbabwe)
25 October 2024 COSAFA WC GS South Africa  3–0  Eswatini Ibhayi, South Africa
15:00 UTC+2
Report Stadium: Isaac Wolfson Stadium
Referee: Antsino Twanyanyukwa (Namibia)
25 October Friendly Denmark  5–0  South Africa Aalborg, Denmark
18:00 UTC+1
Stadium: Aalborg Stadium
28 October 2024 COSAFA WC GS South Africa  8–1  Seychelles Gqeberha, South Africa
15:00 UTC+2
Report
  • Pas. Moustache 74' (pen.)
Stadium: Madibaz Stadium
Referee: Grace Gimo (Zimbabwe)
29 October Friendly England  2–1  South Africa Coventry, England
Stadium: Coventry Arena
31 October 2024 COSAFA WC SF South Africa  1–1
(4–1 p)
 Mozambique Ibhayi, South Africa
15:00 UTC+2 Motlogelwa 45+4' (pen.) Report Célia 34' Stadium: Isaac Wolfson Stadium
Referee: Mercy Mayimbo (Zimbabwe)
Penalties
  • soccer ball with red X Chingueleze
  • soccer ball with check mark Joana
  • soccer ball with red X Aurora
29 November Friendly Jamaica  3–0  South Africa Montego Bay, Jamaica
2 December Friendly Jamaica  3–2  South Africa Montego Bay, Jamaica

2025

22 February Friendly South Africa  1–0  Lesotho Johannesburg, South Africa
13:00 UTC+2 Mdelwa 50' Report Stadium: UJ Soweto Campus
25 February Friendly South Africa  2–0  Lesotho Johannesburg, South Africa
15:00 UTC+2
Report Stadium: UJ Soweto Campus
5 April Friendly South Africa  3–0  Malawi Johannesburg, South Africa
15:00 UTC+2
Report Stadium: UJ Soweto Campus
8 April Friendly South Africa  2–1  Malawi Pretoria, South Africa
15:00 UTC+2
Report Stadium: Lucas Moripe Stadium
28 May Nations Challenge South Africa  3–2  Botswana Pretoria, South Africa
15:00 UTC+2
Report
Stadium: Lucas Moripe Stadium
Player of the Match: Karabo Dhlamini (South Africa)
3 June Nations Challenge South Africa  2–0  Zambia Pretoria, South Africa
15:00 UTC+2 Report Stadium: Lucas Moripe Stadium
Referee: Vistoria Shangula (Namibia)
28 June Unofficial Friendly South Africa  2–0  Benin Mohammedia, Morocco
15:30 UTC+1 Stadium: Lanoria Club
11 July CAF WAFCON 2024 GS Tanzania  1−1  South Africa Oujda, Morocco
20:00 UTC+1
  • Clement 24'
  • Katunzi Yellow card 72'
  • Chenge Yellow card 75' Yellow-red card 84'
Stadium: Larbi Zaouli Stadium
Referee: Natacha Konan (Ivory Coast)
14 July CAF WAFCON 2024 GS South Africa  4−0  Mali Oujda, Morocco
20:00
Report Stadium: Honneur Stadium
Referee: Bouchra Karboubi (Morocco)
Remove ads

Coaching staff

Summarize
Perspective

Current coaching staff

More information Position, Name ...

Technical staff

More information Role, Name ...

Manager history

More information Coach, Nat. ...
Remove ads

Players

Summarize
Perspective

Current Squad


Caps and goals are correct as of 13 July 2025,

More information No., Pos. ...

Recent call ups

The following players were called up to the squad within the past 12 months.


More information Pos., Player ...

Previous squads

FIFA Women's World Cup
Summer Olympics
Africa Women Cup of Nations
COSAFA Women's Championship
Turkish Women's Cup
Remove ads

Records

  • Active players in bold, statistics correct as of 2025.
More information Rank, Player ...
Remove ads

Honours

Major competitions

Continental

Regional


  1. Competition organized by the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa, officially not recognized by FIFA.


Remove ads

Competitive record

FIFA Women's World Cup

More information FIFA Women's World Cup record, Year ...
*Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.
More information FIFA Women's World Cup history, Year ...

Olympic Games

More information Summer Olympics record, Year ...
*Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.

Africa Women Cup of Nations

More information Africa Women Cup of Nations record, Year ...
*Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.

African Games

More information African Games record, Year ...

COSAFA Women's Championship

More information COSAFA Women's Championship record, Year ...
*Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.
Remove ads

All−time record against FIFA recognized nations

The list shown below shows the women's South Africa national soccer team's all−time international record against opposing nations.
*As of xxxxxx after match against xxxx.

Key
  Positive balance (more wins than losses)
  Neutral balance (as many wins as losses)
  Negative balance (more losses than wins)
More information Against, Pld ...

    Record per opponent

    *As ofxxxxx after match against xxxxx.

    Key
      Positive balance (more wins than losses)
      Neutral balance (as many wins as losses)
      Negative balance (more losses than wins)

    The following table shows South Africa's all-time official international record per opponent:

    More information Opponent, Pld ...

    See also

    National teams
    Remove ads

    References

    Loading related searches...

    Wikiwand - on

    Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.

    Remove ads