By Dayo Awoniyi
South Africa head coach Desiree Ellis has issued a confident warning to Nigeria’s Super Falcons ahead of their high-stakes semi-final meeting at the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), declaring her team “knows what it takes” to beat the nine-time champions.
Banyana Banyana secured their place in the last four after a tense 4-2 penalty shootout victory over Senegal on Saturday, following a 1-1 draw in regulation time.
Ellis, who led South Africa to their maiden WAFCON title in 2022, believes her side is well-prepared to take on an in-form Nigeria squad that dismantled Zambia 5-0 in Friday’s quarter-final.
“We know what this match means. We know what it takes to beat Nigeria,” Ellis told CAFonline, underscoring the reigning champions’ confidence ahead of Tuesday’s showdown at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium in Casablanca.
The match reignites one of the fiercest rivalries in African women’s football. South Africa famously defeated Nigeria in the group stage of the 2022 edition, although the Super Falcons advanced to the semi-finals before finishing fourth. South Africa went on to claim the title, marking a historic breakthrough for the team.
With a spot in the final — and continental bragging rights — at stake, the clash promises to be a defining moment of the tournament. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. local time.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
