South Africa Names Experienced Squad for WAFCON Title Defence
Desiree Ellis has nailed her colours to the mast. South Africa’s coach has gone with battle-hardened experience and a few powerful comeback stories in her final 26-player squad for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco – a tournament that doubles as a high-stakes gateway to the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
Four African semi-finalists will go straight to the global showpiece. Two more will have to fight their way through the intercontinental playoffs. The margins are thin; the pressure is not.
Ellis leans on core of champions
The spine of South Africa’s golden generation remains intact.
Striker Thembi Kgatlana, midfield maestros Linda Motlhalo and Refiloe Jane, defensive pillars Lebohang Ramalepe and Bambanani Mbane, and goalkeepers Kaylin Swart and Andile Dlamini are all in. They know what it takes to navigate a major tournament. They also know what it feels like when it goes wrong.
Hildah Magaia, still unattached at club level, returns as a reminder of what South Africa can be at their ruthless best. She scored both goals in the 2022 final against Morocco, the night Banyana Banyana finally claimed their first continental crown. Her selection is a nod to history and a bet on her knack for decisive moments.
A remarkable reunion
Then there is the story that will tug at every neutral.
Robyn Moodaly-Salgado, who had previously stepped away from the game, is back in the squad. She will line up alongside her spouse, Gabriela Moodaly-Salgado, who herself returns from a horrific broken leg suffered at the last WAFCON. From retirement and a major injury to a joint shot at another continental title – it is one of the most striking subplots in Ellis’s group.
The rest of the list underlines the blend Ellis wants: domestic dominance from Mamelodi Sundowns FC and The University of the Western Cape FC, overseas sharpness from the likes of Bongeka Gamede (FC Nordjaelland), Linda Motlhalo (Glasgow City) and Amogelang Motau (Club Tijuana), and emerging local talent pushing for minutes.
Group B: no room for slip-ups
Banyana Banyana have been drawn in Group B and will open their campaign against Tanzania in Casablanca on July 27. Four days later they face Ivory Coast, before closing the group against Burkina Faso on August 4.
Only the top two in each pool advance to the quarterfinals. With World Cup tickets on the line, any early stumble could be costly.
Jane: “We know what is at stake”
Captain Refiloe Jane did not dress up the stakes.
She stressed that this WAFCON is non-negotiable for a side that failed to hit their own standards in the previous edition. The objective is blunt: qualify for the World Cup first, then think about everything else, including defending the continental crown.
An injury setback had threatened to derail her build-up, but the postponement of the tournament changed the picture. The delay allowed her to regain full fitness and collect valuable minutes with TS Galaxy Queens FC as domestic football resumed. For Jane, that shift in timing has turned into an advantage, both personally and for a squad now arriving with competitive minutes in their legs.
The cost of experience
One key figure will not be there.
Veteran midfielder Jermaine Seoposenwe has retired, and Jane was clear about the void she leaves. Seoposenwe’s influence stretched far beyond the 90 minutes – a presence in the dressing room, a reference point on the pitch. When a senior player of that stature steps away, a gap opens.
The expectation now is that younger players who watched and learned from her will step forward. Ellis has handed them the stage; it is up to them to fill that space.
Full South Africa squad for WAFCON 2026
- Goalkeepers: Kaylin Swart (JVW FC), Andile Dlamini (Mamelodi Sundowns FC), Kebotseng Moletsane (University of Fort Hare FC)
- Defenders: Lebohang Ramalepe (Mamelodi Sundowns FC), Lonathemba Mhlongo (The University of the Western Cape FC), Karabo Dhlamini (Mamelodi Sundowns FC), Asanda Hadebe (Mamelodi Sundowns FC), Bambanani Mbane (Mamelodi Sundowns FC), Antonia Maponya (The University of the Western Cape FC), Khutso Pila (Mamelodi Sundowns FC), Fikile Magama (The University of the Western Cape FC)
- Midfielders: Bongeka Gamede (FC Nordjaelland, Denmark), Noxolo Cesane (Mamelodi Sundowns FC), Gabriela Moodaly-Salgado (JVW FC), Linda Motlhalo (Glasgow City, Scotland), Nonhlanhla Mathandi (Mamelodi Sundowns FC), Refiloe Jane (TS Galaxy Queens FC), Sibulele Holweni (The University of the Western Cape FC), Isabella Ludwig (Mamelodi Sundowns FC), Amogelang Motau (Club Tijuana, Mexico)
- Forwards: Hildah Magaia (unattached), Thembi Kgatlana (Tigres UANL, Mexico), Ronnel Donnelly (Mamelodi Sundowns FC), Nthabiseng Majiya (Mamelodi Sundowns FC), Zoe October (The University of the Western Cape FC)
Ellis has her champions, her returnees, her prospects. Now comes the real test: can this group carry South Africa back to the World Cup while keeping their hands on the African crown?
