{"id":1833,"date":"2025-10-22T04:40:44","date_gmt":"2025-10-22T02:40:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pixleyindependent.co.za\/?p=1833"},"modified":"2025-10-22T04:40:44","modified_gmt":"2025-10-22T02:40:44","slug":"banyana-ready-for-away-crunch-wafcon-2026-qualifier-against-dr-congo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pixleyindependent.co.za\/?p=1833","title":{"rendered":"Banyana ready for away crunch WAFCON 2026 qualifier against DR Congo"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\u00a0Banyana Banyana face the Democratic Republic of Congo in Kinshasa in a crunch and eagerly anticipated away Women\u2019s Africa Cup of Nations Cup (WAFCON) qualifier on Wednesday, 22 October 2025. Kick-off is at 18h00 (SA time).<\/p>\n

With both nations eager to improve on their previous WAFCON campaigns, this tie over two legs marks a crucial first step toward Morocco 2026. The South African senior women\u2019s national team\u2019s preparations received a lift with the arrival of Linda Motlhalo on Tuesday, adding poise and creativity to a group that has trained with intent since assembling for camp at the weekend.<\/p>\n

Captain Refiloe Jane underscored the team\u2019s clarity of purpose ahead of a demanding away leg: \u201cIt is very important to qualify for the WAFCON, so the results are what is important for the team. With the changes that DRC have, it won\u2019t be easy. So we\u2019ll have to prepare very well and try to get a good result.\u201d<\/p>\n

With the first leg on Congolese soil, DR Congo carry the immediate advantage, on paper at least, but South Africa have plans to put themselves up to an advantage in order to establish a platform for the return leg in Johannesburg next week on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

Coach Thinasonke Mbuli reflected on the teams\u2019 similar trajectories and the challenge ahead as they both refocus for this qualifier over two legs.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that DR Congo and Banyana Banyana are (in the same boat). We lost our last game at WAFCON to Ghana, but perhaps the advantage to DR Congo is that they were in a tough group with Morocco and Zambia. Those matches, even though DR Congo didn\u2019t make it to the knockouts, might have helped them prepare well for these qualifiers.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0Banyana Banyana face the Democratic Republic of Congo in Kinshasa in a crunch and eagerly<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1834,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1833","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sport"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t