Brilliant Banyana Banyana turns the lights back on

Banyana Banyana are finally the queens of Africa.

Desiree Ellis’ side on Saturday broke the curse of five runners-up finishes to lift the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) trophy, following a 2-1 win over hosts Morocco at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.

While the men’s team, Bafana Bafana, continue to languish in almost perpetual nowhere, the women’s soccer team are flying the South African flag high and proud, going from strength to strength in the game.

Hildah Magaia’s brace on Saturday, two expertly taken strikes from the 27-year-old Korea-based forward, grabbed a deserved win for the team, who took the game to the hosts in front of a partisan crowd, defying even the green lasers shone in their faces, a constant blight from the stands in the game in these parts.

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Banyana won all six of their matches at the Wafcon, topped by a brilliant win over the continent’s superpower Nigeria, and tailed by this final triumph.

In between, it was not always pretty, and at times Banyana struggled in front of goal.

But winning ugly is a part of tournament football, and Ellis’ troops always found a way.

With a narrow 1-0 win over Tunisia in the quarter-finals, Banyana sealed their place in a second successive Fifa Women’s World Cup finals, the next edition to be played in Australia and New Zealand from 20 July to 20 August next year.

There was, however, still a deep desire to finally win the continental crown after so many near misses.

To go to the World Cup as African champions has a lovely ring about it, too.

And on top of this, with all that is going on right now, South Africa must lap up any kind of cheer.

“SA this is for you!” screamed Ellis into a camera after the match. Thank you, Desiree, and thank you, Banyana.

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