By Lebone Rodah Mosima
Bantwana advanced to the third and final round of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers after holding Tanzania to a goalless draw at Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville, Tshwane, on Sunday to seal a 2-0 aggregate victory.
The South African U-17 women’s national team went into the second leg with a 2-0 lead after winning the first leg in Zanzibar last month.
The South African Football Association (SAFA) said it had been a challenging afternoon for the hosts, with Tanzania applying pressure throughout the match as they tried to get back into the tie.
“When the defence was bridged, goalkeeper Dakalo Mafumo stood firm, thwarting several attempts made by Tanzania to keep the scoreline intact,” SAFA said.
“The home side had some chances to consolidate their lead but could not find the back of the net. In the end they shared the spoils with Tanzania, enough to see the hosts through to the next round.”
Bantwana head coach Ntombifuthi Khumalo said the match was as tough as expected.
“Credit must go to the defence and the goalkeeper who worked tirelessly amidst relentless attacks from Tanzania,” Khumalo said.
“It was very difficult to penetrate them, but the good thing is we were able to deny them any goals, as that would have probably brought them back into the game.”
South Africa will now face Kenya in the final round of qualifying, with the two-legged tie scheduled for the weekends of July 3-5 and July 10-12.
Kenya eliminated Uganda after a goalless draw in the second leg, progressing on the away-goals rule after the first leg ended 1-1 in Kampala.
Khumalo said reaching the final round was a significant milestone for her team and added that she believed Bantwana had enough quality to compete for a World Cup place.
“We have seen how Kenya plays, and we will go and prepare accordingly for that big match. For now, we will celebrate today’s success and regroup later in June,” she said.
The 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup will be staged in Morocco from October 17 to November 7.
Africa has five places at the tournament, with hosts Morocco qualifying automatically and four more teams set to qualify through the African qualifiers.
The final-round fixtures are South Africa against Kenya, Zambia against Ethiopia, Senegal against Ghana, and Nigeria against Benin.
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