Banyana vs. Ghana: Medal Hunt for Injured Salgado!

By: Danilo Pérez Published On: 25/07/2025

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Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis has made it clear: they're playing for more than just a medal in the Women's Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) third-place playoff against Ghana. This match, taking place at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium on July 25th at 9pm CAT (SA, GMT+2), is dedicated to Gabriela Salgado, who suffered a devastating injury in their semi-final defeat to Nigeria.

South Africa's title defence ended with a 2-1 loss to the Super Falcons, marking their first defeat in ten matches at the continental tournament. Despite their undefeated run to victory in the 2022 edition, Nigeria proved too strong this time around. The injury to Salgado in the dying moments of that match added insult to injury, leaving the team determined to honour her sacrifice.

Banyana Banyana have already tasted victory against the Black Queens in the group stages, securing a 2-0 win on July 7th. Ellis is determined to see a repeat performance, ensuring they finish their campaign in Morocco on a positive note and bring home a medal for Salgado.

Ghana might be feeling the effects of fatigue, having gone to extra time in both their quarter-final and semi-final matches. They edged past Algeria 4-2 on penalties after a goalless draw, but couldn't replicate that composure against Morocco, losing 4-2 in the shootout. Their defensive record also shows vulnerability, with only one clean sheet in their last five games. Their semi-final clash against Morocco ended 1-1 after extra time.

"Most definitely, there's disappointment with not getting to the final of course but there's still something to play for and that is important," said Ellis. "It's not just the medal but like I said we're going to try and do this for Gabriela. She is going home with an injury, we will make sure that she gets a medal because it's important that we still fight for this."