{"id":18367,"date":"2025-07-25T16:12:31","date_gmt":"2025-07-25T14:12:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/?p=18367"},"modified":"2026-03-12T10:10:53","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T08:10:53","slug":"wafcon-2025-banyana-aim-bronze","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wafcon-2025-banyana-aim-bronze\/","title":{"rendered":"WAFCON 2025: Banyana Banyana Aim to Finish Strong, Says Coach Ellis"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Despite falling short of reaching the final, Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis insists the team still has a mission to accomplish. They prepare to take on Ghana in the third-place playoff of the Women\u2019s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON). The match is scheduled for Friday night at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium in Casablanca. The kick-off is set for 9pm local time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ellis has rallied her side to give their all in the bronze medal clash. Finishing the tournament with silverware remains a top priority, she stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-bronze-still-matters\">Bronze Still Matters<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Speaking ahead of the crucial playoff against the Black Queens, Ellis acknowledged the disappointment of missing out on a title defence. However, she stressed that there\u2019s still pride and purpose driving the squad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOf course, there\u2019s frustration in not making the final, but we still have something meaningful to fight for,\u201d said Ellis. \u201cSecuring third place is not just a consolation. It\u2019s about returning home with a medal and honouring our journey at this tournament.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"gaute-1009224432\" class=\"gaute-inbetween-content gaute-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><div class=\"gaute-adlabel\">Advertisement<\/div><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1852772760112594\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1852772760112594\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"1819787043\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-playing-for-salgado\">Playing for Salgado<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Ellis also highlighted the emotional motivation behind the team\u2019s upcoming performance. The players are rallying behind injured teammate <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/ellis-blames-salgado-injury-for-banyana-exit\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Gabriela Salgado<\/a>. She suffered a serious leg injury during Banyana\u2019s 2-1 semi-final defeat to Nigeria earlier in the week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis game is for Gabi. She gave everything for the team, and now that she\u2019s sidelined, we want to bring the medal back for her,\u201d Ellis explained. \u201cIt\u2019s not just another match. It\u2019s a meaningful one. We need to show resilience and unity. We must end this campaign with something to show for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-salgado-s-recovery-update\">Salgado\u2019s Recovery Update<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Salgado\u2019s injury, which occurred during the intense battle with Nigeria, was later confirmed to be a fracture of the mid-shaft of her left leg. Following the incident, she underwent surgery at the Mohamed VI University Hospital in Casablanca.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Banyana\u2019s team doctor, Dr Lindi Mokoena, provided an update on the midfielder\u2019s condition. He confirmed that Salgado will be out for the remainder of the year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cShe had a clean fracture and has since undergone successful surgery. Gabi will now begin her recovery journey. Unfortunately, she will miss the rest of the football calendar in 2025,\u201d Dr Mokoena said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He praised the collaborative effort by CAF, the Banyana medical team, and hospital staff. \u201cThe care Gabi received in Morocco has been world-class,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re deeply grateful for the support shown throughout this difficult time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"gaute-1576663455\" class=\"gaute-inbetween-content gaute-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><div class=\"gaute-adlabel\">Advertisement<\/div><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1852772760112594\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1852772760112594\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"1819787043\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-team-s-mental-reset\">The Team\u2019s Mental Reset<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Looking ahead to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.citizen.co.za\/sport\/soccer\/local-soccer\/banyana-still-have-a-lot-to-play-for-at-wafcon-says-ellis\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Friday\u2019s clash<\/a>, Ellis noted that the team has had to mentally reset. They must lift themselves after the heartbreak of the semi-final exit. She believes that the desire to make the nation proud, coupled with their support for Salgado, will fuel their efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s crucial that we bounce back strongly. This match offers a chance to show our character and resilience,\u201d Ellis said. \u201cIt\u2019s not just about medals, it\u2019s about pride, spirit, and representing our country with dignity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-eyes-on-the-podium\">Eyes on the Podium<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As the WAFCON 2025 campaign winds down, Banyana are determined to ensure their journey ends on a high. While the gold medal may be out of reach, the bronze still carries weight and meaning. This is both for the squad and for the millions of fans back home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Friday\u2019s match will not only be a test of skill but also of mental strength, unity, and purpose. And as Ellis has made clear, Banyana Banyana are ready to give their all, one last time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Related article: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/banyana-banyanas-wafcon-campaign\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">With Kgatlana Absent, Senior Stars Carry Banyana Banyana\u2019s WAFCON Hopes in Morocco<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Despite falling short of reaching the final, Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis insists the team still has a mission to accomplish. They prepare to take on Ghana in the third-place playoff of the Women\u2019s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON). The match is scheduled for Friday night at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium in Casablanca. The kick-off<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":18374,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_focus_keyword":"","rank_math_title":"","rank_math_description":"Despite falling short of reaching the final, Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis insists the team still has a mission to accomplish. They prepare to take on...","footnotes":""},"categories":[56,64],"tags":[2593,288,5616],"class_list":{"0":"post-18367","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports","8":"category-sports-news","9":"tag-banyana-banyana","10":"tag-soccer","11":"tag-wafcon-2025"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18367","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18367"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18367\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18376,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18367\/revisions\/18376"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18374"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18367"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18367"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18367"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}