Bantwana begin quest for third World Cup qualification

By Matlhomola Morake
4th January 2025

The South African U17 Women’s National Team, Bantwana, begin their attempt for a third FIFA Women’s World Cup qualification when they take on Gabon in the first round of the qualifiers.

The two nations will meet on Saturday, 11 January 2025 in the first leg scheduled for Stade de la Rénovation in Franceville, Gabon.

The return fixture is set for the following weekend (Saturday, 18 January 2025) at the Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville.

The winner of the two-legged tie will face Nigeria in the second round to be played in March.

Bantwana head coach Ntombifuthi Khumalo has named a squad of 27 players who will assemble for a training camp on Sunday, (5 January 2025) before heading out to Gabon.

She has selected the bulk of the team that did duty at the 2024 COSAFA U17 Women’s Championship held in Johannesburg in December.

Bantwana have been to two FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup tournaments before.

In 2010 they were in Trinidad and Tobago under coach Solly Luvhengo, with current Banyana Banyana players like Jermaine Seoposenwe, Kaylin Swart and Nomvula Kgoale part of the squad.

Eight years later they were back at it, led by former Banyana Banyana captain Simphiwe Dludlu at the 2018 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup in Uruguay.

The South African squad featured prominent players like Karabo Dhlamini, Fikile Magama and Sibulele Holweni who helped Banyana Banyana to win their maiden CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in 2022.

For the 2025 edition, which will be held in Morocco, and played on the African continent for the first time, CAF will have five slots, including the hosts.

READ: FIFA urges Member Associations to apply for funding to reform women’s football

The tournament will take place from 17 October to 9 November 2025.

It will be the first edition to have an expanded 24 teams from the 16 that participated at the 2024 tournament in the Dominican Republic.

North Korea are the defending champions.

Meanwhile Zimbabwe, Eswatini and Congo have withdrawn from the qualifiers, citing financial challenges.

This has given their opponents, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Benin, respectively, passage to the next round.

Ethiopia await the winner between Egypt and Cameroon; Tanzania will take on 2024 World Cup participants Zambia, while meet either DR Congo or Niger in the second round.