adminJOHANNESBURG – There’s a celebratory mood across South Africa after Banyana Banyana were crowned the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations champions.
Banyana Banyana won a hard-fought victory after beating Morocco 2-1 at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium on Saturday.
Fans have been paying tribute to the national women’s football team after their historic win.
It was a tightly-contested final but in the end a brave and clinical display from coach Desiree Ellis’s chargers saw them overcome the intimidating home atmosphere to win the match 2-1.
Banyana were able to hold on for the win, despite an extra nine minutes added on at the end of the match.
It ended a run of five finals without success for South Africa, who completed the tournament in Morocco with a 100% record.
Coach Ellis said that this win had been a long time coming.
“When we walked out and saw the sea of red, I was not perturbed. You could see the focus on the players faces, they were not perturbed. The players were really determined and from the first moment, you could see that they wanted to win it. Today they showed true Kasi flavour and the South African spirit and togetherness all came together” said Ellis.
The accolades on the night kept coming as South Africa were also named the women’s National Team of the Year.
Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Sport, Arts and Culture has joined many others in congratulating the African Champions.
The chairperson of the committee, Beauty Dlulane, said the ache of losing the final in 2018 to Nigeria is now healed.
“We are going to the World Cup in Australia as African champions, what an honour that would be. Based on performances at the WAFCON it is clear that we’ll go there to challenge” said Dlulane.
The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Sport said in a statement: “No corner of Africa was left untouched in Banyana’s trail of destruction. It feels good to be South African.”
Adding to this, Cricket South Africa (CSA) joined the nation in congratulating the on their triumph saying “victory against the hosts Morocco had secured these heroines a place in our sporting history and clinched a spot in the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand”.
Meanwhile, Sports Minister Nathi Mthethwa has congratulated coach Desiree Ellis. Mthethwa said it’s the first time since Bafana Bafana’s heroics in 1996 that a national football team was victorious in the Nations Cup.
“The fact that it was Banyana Banyana who remained standing when it was all said and done is particularly sweet, and it feels really good for South African football to once again reach the pinnacle of Africa for the first time since 1996,” said the Minister’s spokesperson Masechaba Ndlovu. – msn
Mathew Masinge
Online Reporter