Ellis: Banyana Must Bounce Back in WAFCON ‘Must-Win’ Clash

South Africa suffered a shock 2-1 loss to Tanzania in their tournament opener despite controlling large periods of possession. Goalkeeper Najat Adrisa produced a string of outstanding saves to frustrate the defending champions before the Twiga Stars struck a dramatic late winner in the 88th minute to secure their first-ever victory over South Africa.

Tanzania had taken the lead in the 37th minute, but Banyana responded through centre-back Bambanani Mbane, who headed home from close range to level the scores.

The defeat leaves Banyana Banyana under pressure ahead of Friday’s crucial clash against Ivory Coast, who made an emphatic start to their campaign with a convincing win over Burkina Faso.

Ellis acknowledged the significance of the upcoming fixture, saying her side can no longer afford any slip-ups if they hope to reach the knockout stages.

“I felt that all three games were going to be difficult, but a good start would have given us the momentum. Now the next match becomes a final before the final. It’s a must-win, and so is the game after that,” Ellis told SAFA.

Despite the setback, the veteran coach remains confident that her squad has what it takes to recover.

“We still have it in us. It wasn’t a good day at the office, but we know we can be much better than that. We cannot afford to drop any more points and, with only two teams progressing to the next round, we have to put our best foot forward,” she said.

Ellis admitted her players were left frustrated after failing to convert their dominance into victory.

“We knew we were capable of getting a positive result, and that’s why we’re disappointed. Goals win games. We knew what Tanzania was going to do, but the two goals we conceded were poor.

“They had two chances, they scored both of them, and they won the game. I said before the match that it would be very difficult, but we also made life difficult for ourselves.”

With their WAFCON title defence hanging in the balance, Banyana Banyana will need a much-improved performance against Ivory Coast to keep their hopes of advancing to the quarter-finals alive.