Karabo Dhlamini says Morocco’s unblemished defensive record will face its sternest challenge when hosts Morocco meet South Africa’s Banyana Banyana in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final in Rabat on Saturday.
The match at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium starts at 22:00 South Africa time and is a repeat of the 2022 final, when Banyana Banyana beat Morocco 2-1 to claim their first and, so far, only Wafcon title.
Morocco are the only side remaining in the tournament yet to concede a goal. They began their Group A campaign with a 4-0 victory over Kenya, followed that with a 1-0 win against Algeria and finished with a goalless draw against Senegal.
However, Dhlamini believes Morocco have not yet faced a serious enough examination and said South Africa are not intimidated by the hosts’ record.
“We know Morocco haven’t conceded, and we feel like they haven’t been tested,” Dhlamini said at a press conference at the stadium on Friday afternoon.
Morocco, who lost last year’s final to Nigeria, will now face a South African side that endured a far more difficult route through the group stage.
Banyana Banyana opened Group B with a 2-1 defeat by Tanzania, before drawing 2-2 with Ivory Coast. Their qualification hopes remained uncertain until their final match, when they edged Burkina Faso 1-0.
South Africa also needed help from Ivory Coast, who defeated Tanzania in a synchronised final round of group matches on Wednesday. That result allowed Banyana Banyana to reach the quarter-finals.
Although South Africa conceded four goals across their three group matches, Mamelodi Sundowns utility left-back Dhlamini said the team had already moved on from that inconsistent start.
“The group stage wasn’t easy, but that’s the past now. Our focus is on the next stage,” she said.
The quarter-final will also carry major significance beyond progression in the competition. The four teams that reach the semi-finals will qualify for next year’s World Cup in Brazil.
The four quarter-final losers will still have an opportunity to reach the global tournament, as they will compete for two CAF places in the intercontinental play-offs.
Saturday’s fixture therefore offers Morocco the chance to continue their unbeaten run on home soil, while Banyana Banyana hope their experience of winning the corresponding final four years ago can help them eliminate the hosts.
Morocco’s clean-sheet sequence has been built across three group matches, but Dhlamini insists South Africa’s difficult opening phase should not define their campaign. The reigning African champions now have a direct opportunity to prove their credentials against the tournament hosts in a knockout match with World Cup qualification at stake.
Ndebele is in Rabat courtesy of Banyana Banyana’s premier sponsor, Sasol
Sowetan
