Sport Reporter
South Africa’s hopes of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup ended on Sunday after Bantwana suffered a 3-1 defeat by Kenya in the second leg of their final qualifying tie at the Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi.
Kenya advanced 5-1 on aggregate after winning the opening leg 2-0 at the Lucas Moripe Stadium in Pretoria on 4 July.
Bantwana goalkeeper Dakalo Mafumo said she was disappointed to miss the opportunity to represent South Africa at the World Cup for the first time, adding that the team struggled to contain Kenya’s pace and endurance.
“I’m a bit disappointed because I really wanted to qualify and experience what it’s like to play at the World Cup. Their speed and endurance made it difficult for us because they were faster than us. It was a really tough match and, because of our mistakes we got punished,” Mafumo told SABC Sport.
South Africa, needing at least two goals to force their way back into the tie, made an ideal start when captain Katleho Malebana put the visitors ahead after five minutes.
Bantwana took their 1-0 lead into halftime and remained within one goal of levelling the aggregate score, but Kenya took control during the closing stages of the second half.
Gaudencia Maloba equalised in the 71st minute, restoring Kenya’s two-goal aggregate advantage and leaving South Africa with an increasingly difficult task.
Brenda Awuor then converted a late penalty before substitute Elizabeth Opiyo added Kenya’s third goal to complete the hosts’ comeback.
The defeat eliminated Ntombifuthi Khumalo’s side from the qualifiers and denied South Africa a place at the tournament in Morocco.
Despite the disappointment, Mafumo said Bantwana had improved during the campaign and could use the experience to return stronger.
“I think our performance was good and we improved with every game we played. It was just unfortunate that the results didn’t favour us. We played well against Tanzania and unfortunately failed to get past Kenya, but we have taken lessons from this experience and believe we will come back stronger,” Mafumo told SABC Sport.
Kenya, who made their U-17 Women’s World Cup debut in the Dominican Republic in 2024, qualified for the global tournament for a second successive edition.
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