MATCH STATS: Burkina Faso face South Africa in decisive Group B clash
Burkina Faso face former champions South Africa in their final Group B match at the Moulay Rachid Stadium in Casablanca on Tuesday, 4 August, with kick-off at 21h00 local time (20h00 GMT). Banyana Banyana must win to keep their qualification hopes alive.
Match Facts
• Burkina Faso and South Africa are meeting at WAFCON for the first time.
• This is Burkina Faso’s first meeting with Southern African opposition.
• South Africa are the sixth different opponents Burkina Faso have faced at the finals.
Burkina Faso – Key Statistics
• Burkina Faso recorded their first win at the finals with a 2-1 victory over Tanzania.
• Naomie Kabré, who scored their opening goal against Tanzania, netted for the first time at the current WAFCON and scored her second goal at the finals overall.
• Kabré became the second Burkina Faso player to score at two WAFCON editions, along with teammate Adama Congo, who netted in 2022 and in their opening defeat to Côte d’Ivoire at the current tournament.
• Burkina Faso have avoided defeat in both their matches against East African opposition, recording one win and one draw.
• They are yet to keep a clean sheet at the finals.
• Their victory over Tanzania was their first WAFCON win after failing to win any of their opening four matches, recording one draw and three defeats.
• Burkina Faso will progress with a win or draw against South Africa.
• Should they avoid defeat, it will be the first time they have gone unbeaten in successive matches at the finals.
• This is their first match against former WAFCON champions.
• Their victory over Tanzania was the first time they had scored the opening goal in a WAFCON match, having conceded first in each of their previous four games.
• Burkina Faso had seven shots on target against Tanzania, their most across their two matches at the current tournament.
• They attempted 19 shots against Tanzania.
• Rasmata Sawodogo had 76 touches against Tanzania, the most by any player in the match.
South Africa – Key Statistics
• South Africa have failed to win either of their opening two matches for the first time since 2016.
• This is the fifth time they have failed to win either of their opening two games, following 1998, 2004, 2014 and 2016.
• The last time they lost their opening match and drew their second was in 2014.
• South Africa failed to progress beyond the group stage on two of the four previous occasions when they did not win either of their opening two matches, in 1998 and 2004.
• They recovered to reach the knockout rounds after failing to win their opening two games in 2014 and 2016.
• Should they fail to win against Burkina Faso, this will be the third tournament at which they have gone without a victory.
• South Africa lost both their matches in 1998 and all three of their group games in 2004.
• Their overall record in their final group match reads P13 W8 D1 L4.
• South Africa are unbeaten in their final group match at the last seven editions.
• They have won their final group game at the last two editions.
• They last failed to win their final group match in 2018, when they drew with Zambia after having already secured qualification.
• Their most recent defeat in a final group game was against Nigeria in 2008, when they had already advanced after winning their opening two matches.
• South Africa have progressed beyond the group stage at each of the four tournaments with Desiree Ellis at the helm.
• This is the second tournament under Ellis in which they have failed to win either of their opening two matches.
• In 2016, they drew with Zimbabwe and lost to Cameroon before defeating Egypt 5-0 in their final group game. Cameroon beat Zimbabwe as South Africa progressed as Group A runners-up and eventually finished fourth.
• South Africa came from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Côte d’Ivoire in their previous match.
• It was the first time they had recovered from two goals down to earn a draw at WAFCON.
• Thembi Kgatlana scored South Africa’s first goal against Côte d’Ivoire, her first at WAFCON since netting in their 3-1 victory over Burundi in their second group game in 2022.
• Kgatlana has scored seven WAFCON goals and has found the net at three editions, in 2018, 2022 and 2026.
• Hildah Magaia scored South Africa’s equaliser nine minutes into second-half stoppage time, the latest goal on record by a South African at WAFCON, excluding goals scored in extra time.
• Magaia has now scored five WAFCON goals across three tournaments.
• South Africa had five shots on target against Côte d’Ivoire, four of which came in the second half.
• Kgatlana had three shots on target in the match.
• Magaia scored with her only shot on target.
• South Africa won four corners against Côte d’Ivoire, while their opponents did not have any.