Paris Olympics ticket at stake as Super Falcons, Banyana rekindle age-long football rivalry 

By Harry Awurumibe, Africa’s No.1 Women Football Journalist

As the Super Falcons prepare to face old rivals and reigning African champions, Banyana Banyana of South Africa tutored by the current  CAF Best Coach of the Year, Desiree Ellis, Prompt News looks at previous meetings between the teams dating back to 29 years ago.

The first time-ever South Africa will take part in women’s football African qualifiers after the fall of the Apartheid regime was when she met Nigeria on March 4, 1995 in a pre-1995 FIFA Women’s World Cup African qualifiers match played at Lekan Salami Stadium in Ibadan,  Oyo state capital. The match which was the last round of the African qualifiers ended on a sour note for the Southern African nation as they were decimated 4-1 on the day.

Nigeria also thrashed South Africa 7-1 in the reverse encounter two weeks later in Johannesburg to emerge as African champions on an 11-2 aggregate thus Falcons booked their ticket to represent Africa in the 2nd edition of FIFA Women’s World Cup.

After the humiliating defeats in their first two meetings, both never met again until on November 25, 2000 when their parts crossed again in the final of the 2000 African Women Championship (AWC) now Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON)as hosts South Africa needed to defeat Nigeria in the final of the 2nd edition of the biannual continental competition to emerge as winners.

This time, the battleground was in Boksburg, South Africa and with revenge on the mind of  head coach Ephraim Mashaba’s women, they put up a good showing but were unable to secure victory as goals from Olaitan Yusuf and Stella Mbachu powered the Super Falcons to another African triumph.

The bitter experience in the hands of Nigeria continued in December 18, 2002 when Nigeria and South Africa met for the fourth time in the history of the WAFCON. After overcoming qualifying from Group B which boasts of Cameroon, Angola, and Zimbabwe as winners, Banyana set up a semi-final date with hosts Super Falcons.

Again, at the Warri Township Stadium, the South Africans were pummelled 5-0 with Stella Mbachu’s second-half brace leading the rout with Olaitan Yusuf, Ifeanyi Chiejine, and Perpetua Nkwocha all finding the net.

Four years later in another WAFCON clash on November 3, 2006, Nigeria ran away with a 2-0 defeat of South Africa in Oleh, Delta state with Cynthia Uwak bagging a first-half double in their last group game against the Super Falcons as Banyana needed a victory to finish as group winners.

Nigeria continued to dominate South Africa in 2008 WAFCON in Equatorial Guinea where Nigeria on November 22, 2008 edged South Africa 1-0 but failed to win the biennial football showpiece for the first time ever as hosts Equatorial Guinea won the 2008 edition on home soil.

The trend of superiority over South Africa even in their home soil continued in 2010 when African legend, Perpetua Nkwocha’s brace gifted Nigeria 2-1 victory over South on November 4, 2010 in front of their home fans in the second group game as August Makalakalane’s women surrendered 2-1 at the Sinaba Stadium.​

However, the tide changed in favour of South Africa after 17 years of humiliations in the hands of Nigeria to record her first victory over their arch-rivals.

South Africa for the first time in the history of WAFCON defeated Nigeria 1-0 on November 7, 2012 in the semi-final stage of the tournament which also cost head coach Kadiri Ikhana’s team a place in the final, with Equatorial Guinea which went ahead to rule Africa for the second time ever.

Banyana Banyana’s ex-inspirational captain, Janine van Wyk was the hero as South Africa overpowered their rivals at the Nkoantoma Stadium, Bata.

The South Africans did not sustain the tempo as Nigeria later defeated South Africa 2-1 in October 22, 2014 in Windhoek, Namibia and 1-0 in the semi-final clash in November 29, 2016 in Cameroon despite coach Desiree Ellis’ hope to halt Florence Omagbemi’s Falcons- who stayed unbeaten in Group A.

But on November 18, 2018 in the first group B tie, South Africa beat 1-0 courtesy of current captain Thembi Kgatlana who scored the winner with five minutes left to play, although Nigeria on December 1, 2018 at the Accra Sports Stadium defeated South Africa Nigeria 4-3 on penalties.

With the scores tied 0-0 after extra time, Nigeria triumphed 4-2 on penalties with Lebogang Ramalepe and Linda Motlhalo missing their kicks.

Meanwhile, in the last two meetings of both countries, South Africa has defeated Nigeria hands down with the 4-2 thrashing of the nine-time African champions on home soil the most memorable for the South Africans and most painful to Super Falcons.

South Africa women’s national team pulled off a big upset as they pipped Nigeria 4-2 to win the 2021 Aisha Buhari Women’s Invitational Tournament in the final match at the Mobolaji Johnson Stadium, Onikan on Tuesday, September 21.

Goals from Linda Motlhalo, Gabrielle Salgado, Mamello Makhabane and defender Michelle Alozie’s early own goal ensured Desiree Ellis’ side outscored the African champions despite a maiden brace from Vivian Ikechukwu in Onikan.

The defeat ensured that the organisers of the ill-fated tournament left Lagos with their tails between their legs as the drums rolled out for celebrations remained silent with only the voices of the South Africans singing Zulu war-songs are heard in all parts of Lagos Island, venue of the match.

Curiously, ten months later South Africa again defeated Nigeria 2-1 in the opening game of Group C of the 12th WAFCON held  in Morocco in July 2022 to continue the dominance of the nine-time African champions and FIFA World Cup ever-present Super Falcons.

In fact, South Africa were up 2-0 within two minutes of the hour-mark after Jermaine Seoposenwe hooked the ball into the Nigeria defence to get a clear chance to beat goalkeeper Tochukwu Oluehi from close range, after great work by Natalie Cesane who beat hard-working Ashleigh Plumptre with classy footwork on the edge of the Nigeria area and then sent the striker on her way.

Although Rasheedat Ajibade reduced the deficit when she found the the net late on, Nigeria never recovered from the hangover of Banyana Banyana defeat as the West African country went on to also lose to hosts Morocco in the semi-final stage and Zambia in the 3rd place play-off to return to Abuja empty-handed for the first time in a long time.

Sadly, the recent two defeats Nigeria have suffered in the hands of South Africa came under the watch of Super Falcons head coach Randy Waldrum who is again condemned to face his South African opposite number Desiree Ellis who is brimming with confidence of having done a double over the American gaffer.

The South African coach, who herself as both  Banyana Banyana player and head coach suffered several humiliating defeats in the hands of Super Falcons has suddenly found the winning formula against a team led by United States-born Waldrum.

Her team has twice outplayed, outscored and defeated Waldrum’s Falcons in both 2021 Aisha Buhari Cup in Lagos and 2022 WAFCON  encounter with South Africa winning 4-2 and 2-1 respectively.

Ellis, a Certified CAF A License holder last December 2023, won the CAF Women’s Coach of the Year award for the 4th time, for her team’s efforts at the 2023 World Cup. She had previously won at the CAF Awards in 2022, 2019 and 2018. She was ranked 7th in the IFFHS Women’s World Best National Coach ranking for 2023.

The experienced football tactician is known to set up her team in a way that opponents may take time to decode while she is good in switching tactical formation depending on what the opposition brings on even as she has a reliable football analyst researches and reviews statistics of individual players or team to provide insights on the game and its players.

 The South African legend has another opportunity to square up against Waldrum who is also the head coach of University of Pittsburgh women’s soccer club Pitts Panthers and it remains to be seen if the Super Falcons will snap the losing streak to Banyana Banyana in third time of trying when both meet in the first leg of the final round of Paris Olympics  Women’s Football Tournament CAF qualifiers billed for Moshood Abiola National Stadium Abuja on Friday, April 5, 2025.