South Africa’s Banyana Banyana face a pivotal Women’s Africa Cup of Nations group match against Ivory Coast on Friday, knowing that defeat would leave the defending champions on the brink of a shock early exit.
The Group B fixture in the 2026 CAN Feminine will be played at Stade Moulay Rachid in Casablanca at 17:00 GMT (18:00 local time), as South Africa look to recover from a surprise 2-1 loss to Tanzania in their opening game.
Ivory Coast, by contrast, arrive with momentum and the chance to all but seal their place in the quarter-finals. Reynald Pedros’ side began their campaign with a commanding 4-1 victory over Burkina Faso and are targeting a second successive win that would put them within touching distance of the last eight.
A top-two finish in the group secures progression, but first place is particularly valuable. Winning the section would allow Ivory Coast – or any other side that finishes top – to avoid hosts Morocco in the quarter-finals, a key step on the path to the semi-finals and, crucially, to a direct berth at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
Pressure mounting on Banyana Banyana
South Africa’s defeat by Tanzania has dramatically altered the complexion of Group B for the 2022 champions, who were among the pre-tournament favourites.
Having already dropped three points, another loss against Ivory Coast would leave Banyana Banyana with a mountain to climb on the final matchday and at serious risk of failing to progress beyond the group stage.
Tanzania’s win over South Africa was widely regarded as a major upset, upsetting the early balance of power in the group and giving the Twiga Stars an unexpected opportunity to take control of the standings.
Ivory Coast, meanwhile, know that a second victory would not only move them to six points but also put them in a strong position to manage their final group fixture with qualification virtually assured.
Burkina Faso fighting to stay alive
The day’s second Group B match sees Burkina Faso take on Tanzania at Stade Larbi Zaouli in Casablanca at 20:00 GMT (21:00 local time), with the Burkinabe side already in a precarious position.
Burkina Faso sit bottom of the group after a heavy opening defeat, and the Etalons Dames have no margin for error. Anything less than a positive result against Tanzania would leave their hopes of staying in the competition hanging by a thread.
After conceding four goals to Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso must tighten up defensively while finding a way to take points from a Tanzanian side buoyed by their stunning start.
Tanzania eye early qualification
Tanzania go into the Burkina Faso game with the chance to continue one of the early stories of the tournament.
Fresh from overturning South Africa, the Twiga Stars can book their place in the knockout phase as early as Friday night if they record a second straight win.
Victory would move Tanzania to six points from six, guaranteeing that they finish no lower than second in Group B and putting them firmly among the surprise packages of the 2026 CAN Feminine.
With both matches in Casablanca and all four teams still in contention after the opening round, Friday’s Group B double-header promises to be a defining moment in the race for quarter-final places and the longer-term battle for World Cup qualification.
