Ellis Outlines Banyana’s Must-Win Plan In Casablanca
Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis insists her side must beat Burkina Faso on Tuesday to keep their hopes of reaching the quarterfinals of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) alive after a difficult start to their Group B campaign.
The decisive Group B clash will be played at the Moulay Rachid Stadium in Casablanca, where Banyana Banyana face a must-win final group-stage encounter.
The 2022 African champions are under pressure after suffering a 2-1 defeat to Tanzania in their opening match before fighting back to earn a 2-2 draw against Group B leaders Ivory Coast. Those results have left Ellis’ side at the bottom of the group with just one point.
Ellis knows there is little room for error against Burkina Faso and has stressed that Banyana Banyana must focus on securing victory rather than worrying about matters beyond their control.
“All the games in the tournament are different, and this one is different as well. It’s a different challenge,” Ellis said.
“They’ve come, they’ve shown their quality, they’ve shown their organisation. But we focus on ourselves; we know what we need to do.
“We need to win the game, and that is important. We can only do what we can do.
“We cannot control anything else outside of that. So, if we win the game with goals, we give ourselves a 50% chance.”
Victory, however, will not automatically guarantee Banyana Banyana a place in the quarterfinals. Ellis’ side will also have to keep a close eye on the other Group B fixture between Ivory Coast and Tanzania.
If Ivory Coast beat Tanzania, Banyana Banyana will qualify for the knockout stages by defeating Burkina Faso. However, if Tanzania win, goal difference will determine who progresses between Banyana Banyana and Ivory Coast after the two sides drew earlier in the tournament.
A draw between Ivory Coast and Tanzania would eliminate Banyana Banyana even if they beat Burkina Faso. In that scenario, Banyana would finish level on points with Tanzania, but the East Africans would progress because they defeated Ellis’ side in their opening match.
With so much at stake, Ellis has called on her players to show the resilience and courage needed to overcome Burkina Faso and give themselves the best possible chance of progressing.
“Look, we know what we’re capable of. We show the resilience, we show the courage,” she added.
“It’s going to take all of that to make sure. Obviously, the first thing is that we have to keep a clean sheet. I think that is really important for us. We’ve never been in front and had the opportunity to score first so that we can control the game, but we must win.
“I think the group is in a situation where everybody is looking at it and saying, ‘If I win, I have a chance.’ So we just have to do what we can do. The rest is not up to us.”
The match is also significant beyond Banyana Banyana’s immediate WAFCON ambitions, with the team aiming to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
The four semifinalists at WAFCON will secure places at the World Cup, meaning Ellis’ side must first book their place in the knockout stages before turning their attention to a place on the global stage.
