Share

Banyana reach final

Johannesburg - Banyana Banyana will face hosts Equatorial Guinea in the final of the African Women's Championships after bagging a 1-0 win over giants Nigeria in their semi-final in Bata on Wednesday night.

Janine van Wyk scored the only goal of the match with a long-range strike in the 23rd minute to hand the SA women their first ever win over defending champions Nigeria, the top-ranked team in Africa.

"I have been in the Banyana Banyana side since 2004 and we have tried for so long to beat the Nigerians but luck has never been on our side," said Van Wyk, who also scored against Nigeria at the 2010 African Championships.

"Now we have proved that we can compete and beat the best on the continent."

Banyana will face Equatorial Guinea, who beat Cameroon 2-0 earlier in the day, in the tournament final in Malabo on Sunday.

"All of our players need to be commended for their commitment and discipline shown," said head coach Joseph Mkhonza.

"We had to pick ourselves up after the opening match defeat against Equatorial Guinea and have applied ourselves to beat Senegal, the Democratic Republic of Congo and now Nigeria.

"We have some homework to do before Sunday's final, knowing we will play in front of a large red-clad crowd in what is certain to be a packed Malabo stadium, but we will be ready for the challenge."

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1470 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2249 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE