MATCH STATS: South Africa face Tanzania in TotalEnergies CAF WAFCON Morocco 2026 Group B opener

South Africa and Tanzania open their TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2026 campaigns with a Group B clash at the Moulay Rachid Stadium in Casablanca on Monday (kick-off 18h00 local time; 17h00 GMT).

Match Facts

• South Africa and Tanzania will meet at the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations for the third time when they face each other in Group B at the Moulay Rachid Stadium in Casablanca.
• The teams are meeting at a second successive tournament.
• Tanzania have faced Banyana Banyana at each of their previous two tournament appearances.
• Their previous two clashes have produced one South African victory and one draw.
• The teams first met in their opening group game in 2010, when hosts South Africa won 2-1. Mamphasha Phopela scored for the hosts before Esther Chabruma drew Tanzania level in the 43rd minute. Mamello Makhabane then converted an 87th-minute penalty to seal the victory for Banyana Banyana.
• Their second meeting came on matchday two of the 2024 edition, when their Group B clash in Oujda ended 1-1. Opah Clement put Tanzania ahead in the 24th minute before Bambanani Mbane equalised for the defending champions in the 70th minute.
• South Africa went on to finish as Group B winners, while Tanzania were eliminated in the group stage.
• Tanzania’s only point at WAFCON came in their 1-1 draw with South Africa at the last edition.
• Both teams have scored in their previous two WAFCON meetings, with neither side keeping a clean sheet in this fixture.
• Their 1-1 draw with South Africa at the last edition is the only time Tanzania have scored first in a game at the finals.
• Tanzania’s Elizabeth Chenge was sent off in the 84th minute of their 1-1 draw with South Africa at the last edition. She was the first player to be shown a red card at WAFCON 2024.
• WAFCON head-to-head – South Africa: P2 W1 D1 L0 GF3 GA2 GD+1.
• WAFCON head-to-head – Tanzania: P2 W0 D1 L1 GF2 GA3 GD-1.

South Africa – Key Statistics

• WAFCON appearances: 13 (1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2022, 2024).
• Best result: Champions (2022).
• FIFA Women’s World Cup appearances: 2 (2019, 2023).
• Winners in 2022, South Africa are one of only three teams to have won WAFCON, along with Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea.
• They reached the semi-finals and eventually finished fourth as they sought to defend their title at the last edition.
• South Africa finished as runners-up four times, in 1998, 2008, 2012 and 2018, before claiming their first title by defeating hosts Morocco 2-1 in 2022.
• They have qualified for every finals since 1998 and, along with Nigeria, are the only team to have featured in all 14 editions.
• South Africa have progressed beyond the group stage in 11 of their 13 previous tournament appearances.
• They have progressed beyond the group stage in each of their last nine tournament appearances, having last failed to do so in 2004.
• South Africa have been eliminated in the group stage only twice, in 1998 and 2004.
• They have won their opening game at WAFCON eight times, drawing once and losing four times.
• South Africa have begun the last three tournaments with victories and have never won their opening match at four successive finals.
• They are unbeaten in their opening game at the last four tournaments. They drew with Zimbabwe in 2016 before defeating Nigeria in 2018 and 2022, and Ghana at the 2024 edition.
• South Africa last lost their opening game in 2014, when they suffered a 1-0 defeat against Cameroon.
• The only South African opening game not to produce a goal was their 0-0 draw with Zimbabwe in 2016.
• Their biggest opening-game victory was a 4-0 triumph over Algeria in 2006, while their heaviest defeat was a 4-0 loss to Ghana in 1998.
• South Africa are unbeaten in their last 10 group games, with eight wins and two draws.
• Their last group-stage defeat came in their second group game in 2016, when they lost 1-0 to Cameroon.
• They have scored in each of their last 10 group games since losing to Cameroon in 2016.
• The defeat against Cameroon in 2016 is South Africa’s only loss in their last 14 group games, with nine wins and four draws in the other matches.
• Their coach, Desiree Ellis, was a runner-up as a player at the 2000 WAFCON and is leading Banyana Banyana into her fifth tournament. She was previously in charge in 2016, 2018, 2022 and at the 2024 edition.
• Ellis is the first coach to lead South Africa at five WAFCON tournaments.
• Under Ellis, South Africa have progressed beyond the group stage in each of their previous four tournaments. They finished fourth in 2016 and at the 2024 edition, were runners-up in 2018 and won the title in 2022.
• Banyana Banyana have contested 22 WAFCON games with Ellis in charge, with a record of 12 wins, six draws and four defeats.
• Under Ellis, three of Banyana Banyana’s four open-play defeats came at the 2016 edition. Their only other open-play defeat was against Nigeria in the semi-finals at the last edition.
• Under Ellis, Banyana Banyana went unbeaten in open play throughout the 2018 and 2022 editions.
• Ellis led Banyana Banyana on a run of 15 WAFCON games without an open-play defeat.
• South Africa have not lost an opening game with Ellis at the helm, recording three wins and one draw. They drew 0-0 with Zimbabwe in 2016, defeated Nigeria 1-0 and 2-1 in 2018 and 2022 respectively, and beat Ghana 2-0 at the last edition.
• They have kept three clean sheets in their four previous opening games with Ellis at the helm.
• South Africa qualified by defeating DR Congo 2-1 on aggregate. They drew the first leg 1-1 away from home before Thembi Kgatlana scored in second-half added time in the return fixture to secure a 1-0 victory and qualification for a 14th time.

Tanzania – Key Statistics

• WAFCON appearances: 2 (2010, 2024).
• Best result: Group stage (2010, 2024).
• Tanzania are making their third appearance at the tournament, having previously qualified in 2010 and for the 2024 edition.
• They are making back-to-back appearances for the first time.
• Tanzania lost all three of their matches on their tournament debut in 2010. At the last edition, they lost their opening and third matches, with a draw against defending champions South Africa in between.
• They have begun both of their previous tournament appearances with defeats, losing 2-1 to South Africa in 2010 and 1-0 to Mali at the 2024 edition.
• Tanzania are yet to win a game at the finals, having lost five and drawn one of their previous six matches.
• They have conceded a goal in each of their six games at the tournament.
• Tanzania have scored five goals at the finals, all of them in the first half of matches.
• They are yet to score a second-half goal at WAFCON.
• Tanzania have conceded 14 goals in six games at WAFCON.
• Of the 14 goals they have conceded, seven came in the first half and seven in the second.
• All six of Tanzania’s WAFCON games have produced goals.
• The Twiga Stars defeated former champions Equatorial Guinea 4-2 on aggregate in the first round of qualifying. They won the first leg 3-1 at home before drawing the return fixture 1-1 away, with Enekia Kasonga scoring in both legs.
• In the second qualifying round, captain Aisha Mnunka and Jamila Rajabu scored in the first leg before Diana Lucas found the net in the second as Tanzania completed a 3-0 aggregate victory over Ethiopia.