South Africa’s women’s national football team, Banyana Banyana, have successfully passed the group stage of the 2025 CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), finishing top of Group C with seven points.
Banyana Banyana ease past 2025 WAFCON group stage
They started the tournament with a 2-0 win over Ghana, drew 1-1 with Tanzania, and ended the group phase with a commanding 4-0 win over Mali.
This strong finish ensures their place in the quarterfinals, where they will face Senegal.
The match will take place on Saturday, 19 July 2025, at 21:00 SAST at Honneur Stadium in Oujda, Morocco.
Speaking after the win over Mali, head coach Dr Desiree Ellis acknowledged the challenge ahead:
“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… This WAFCON is not just a one-sided tournament,” she said.
Goals from co-captains Lebohang Ramalepe and Refiloe Jane, as well as second-half strikes by Hilda Magaia and substitute Ronnel Donnelly, sealed South Africa’s victory over Mali.
For Donnelly, it was her first goal for Banyana Banyana.
Banyana Banyana 2025 WAFCON fixtures
As Banyana Banyana progress through the knockout stages, here is what their potential path to the final looks like:
Quarterfinal:
- Saturday, 19 July 2025: South Africa vs Senegal – 21:00 SAST (Oujda, Morocco)
Semifinals:
- Tuesday, 22 July 2025: If victorious, South Africa will play one of the winners from the other quarterfinals – Time: 21:00 SAST
Final:
- Saturday, 26 July 2025: Should they reach this stage, Banyana will compete for the title at 22:00 SAST
The other quarterfinal matches include:
- Nigeria vs Zambia (18 July, 18:00)
- Morocco vs Mali (18 July, 21:00)
- Algeria vs Ghana (19 July, 18:00)
Coach Ellis has led Banyana Banyana to the top of their group in three straight WAFCON tournaments—2018, 2022, and now 2024/2025.
“Today we showed the quality that we have, but we need to use this to fuel ourselves because it doesn’t matter the result, you are always looking for improvement,” said Ellis.
Banyana Banyana are aiming to defend the title they won in 2022, and their performance in the group stage sends a strong signal of intent as they continue their journey.