Defending champions South Africa will begin their title defence at the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) on Monday as they face Ghana in a highly anticipated Group C clash at the Stade d’Honneur d’Oujda.
Banyana Banyana, who clinched their maiden WAFCON title in Morocco in 2022, enter the tournament as one of the favourites and will be aiming to make a strong start. Their campaign kicks off against a Ghanaian side hungry to reclaim its place among the continent’s elite.
South Africa boast an impressive record in recent tournament openers, remaining unbeaten in their last three, including back-to-back wins over arch-rivals Nigeria. Head coach Desiree Ellis will be hoping her side maintains that momentum as they begin the quest to retain their crown.
However, Ghana have proven to be a tricky opponent for Banyana. The last time the two sides met in a competitive fixture was at the 2016 WAFCON, where the Black Queens claimed a narrow 1–0 victory in the third-place match. Ghana also edged a friendly meeting in 2018 with another 1–0 win. South Africa’s last victory over Ghana came 17 years ago during the 2008 tournament, where they finished as runners-up to hosts Equatorial Guinea.
The Black Queens, who have yet to win a WAFCON title, have reached the final on three occasions — each time falling to Nigeria. However, their recent form in the competition has been less encouraging, managing to progress beyond the group stage just once since 2008. They also missed the 2022 edition entirely after failing to qualify.
Ghana’s Swedish head coach Kim Lars Björkegren believes his team can rise to the occasion.
“It will take belief, hard work, a little bit of luck, and a clear game plan,” he said. “We have to take it one match at a time and stay mentally focused.”
Following South Africa and Ghana’s showdown, Group C action will continue later today with Mali taking on Tanzania.
With both teams seeking to make early statements, today’s clash promises to be a fierce contest as Banyana aim to begin their title defence on a winning note, while Ghana hope to break their long title drought.
