By BLEMFONTEIN — Sasol Banyana Banyana has touched down in the City of Roses, settling in smoothly as preparations ramp up for a crucial double-header against Madagascar. The fixtures, serving as qualifiers for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, will take place at the Free State Stadium this Friday and next Tuesday.
For the 2022 African Champions, this campaign represents far more than just a pair of knockout matches—it is a mission to reclaim their place on the global stage. South Africa’s senior women’s national team last featured at the Olympic Games back in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, missing out on subsequent editions after narrow qualification hurdles.
Head coach Dr. Ellis emphasized the vital importance of breaking that drought, pointing to the generational growth it affords the squad.
“We haven’t qualified for the last two Olympic Games… It’s really important that we start getting to the Olympics. We qualified back-to-back in the past and then you don’t qualify for two, it’s important for us to qualify for these global events because the newer players that come in, and the younger players that come in, will also gain a lot of experience through that,” Dr. Ellis noted.
While Madagascar will technically host the first encounter on Friday afternoon at 15h00 due to lacking a suitable venue of their own, the match will proceed behind closed doors at the specific request of the visiting side.
Despite the lack of spectators for the opener, Banyana have wasted no time getting down to business, completing rigorous training sessions since arriving on Monday to fine-tune their tactical approach.
A Dual-Purpose Campaign
Compounding the significance of these qualifiers is what lies just over the horizon. With Banyana Banyana still firmly in contention for FIFA Women’s World Cup qualification, next month’s crucial play-offs mean Dr. Ellis and her technical team are treating the Madagascar assignment with a two-fold vision.
- Immediate Qualification: Securing a dominant aggregate win to advance past Madagascar into the next round of the Olympic qualifiers.
- World Cup Fine-Tuning: Utilizing the competitive minutes to evaluate combinations and elevate the team’s performance ceiling ahead of November’s high-stakes play-offs.
“It’s not just about this game, it’s also about the game in November, so we’re using it two-fold because you have very little time to prepare,” Dr. Ellis explained. “We’ll be preparing for Madagascar but also looking at how we can get the team to be a better version of themselves come November.”
Squad Dynamics and Global Stars Return
The squad has received massive boosts with the arrival of several key overseas-based stars reporting for national team duty. The experienced contingent features:
- Thembi Kgatlana arriving from Mexico.
- Linda Motlhalo travelling in from Scotland.
- Bongeka Gamede joining from Denmark.
- Hildah Magaia arriving from Saudi Arabia.
- Amogelang Motau from Mexico, who was expected to join up with the camp on Wednesday afternoon.
However, the continental powerhouse will have to navigate the fixtures without the defensive steel of veteran Bambanani Mbane, who has travelled back home to continue her recovery and rehabilitation from injury.
Looking Ahead to Tuesday
Following Friday’s opener, the two sides will lock horns once again for the second leg on Tuesday, 13 October 2026, once more at the Free State Stadium.
Unlike the behind-closed-doors first leg, supporters will have the opportunity to rally behind the team for the decisive clash. Tickets are currently available via Ticketpro shop.ticketpro.co.za/event/banyana-, priced at R50 for adults and R20 for children under the age of 12.
As Banyana look to lay a definitive marker down this Friday, the journey toward Los Angeles 2028 is officially underway.
