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    South Africa head coach Desiree Ellis has urged her players to quickly recover from their Women’s Africa Cup of Nations exit as they prepare to face Nigeria in a crucial World Cup qualification clash.

    Banyana Banyana were eliminated from the tournament after suffering a 2-1 defeat to hosts Morocco in Saturday’s quarter-final, ending their hopes of reaching the last four.

    Nigeria also missed out on the semi-finals after losing 1-0 to Cameroon in a tightly contested quarter-final at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium in Casablanca.

    Ellis demands quick response from Banyana

    South Africa and Nigeria will now meet in a play-in match at the Moulay Rachid Stadium in Casablanca on Thursday, with the winner keeping their hopes of reaching the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup alive.

    The match comes with little time for either side to dwell on their respective defeats, and Ellis believes her players must quickly shift their focus to the opportunity ahead.

    South Africa head coach rallies players ahead of Super Falcons clash
    South Africa set to face Super Falcons in a World Cup qualification clash – Getty image

    “We’re not out of it. We didn’t want to go down that route, but it’s been thrown at us,” Ellis was quoted as saying by ESPN.

    “We need to get ready for the next game mentally, get ready for it physically, we need to recover quickly.”

    World Cup qualification at stake

    The play-in winner will advance to the inter-confederation play-offs, where they will join nine other teams competing for three places at the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

    For South Africa, the route offers a second opportunity to secure qualification after their hopes of winning the continental title ended against Morocco.

    Nigeria will also be determined to respond after their surprise quarter-final defeat to Cameroon. The Super Falcons entered the knockout stage as defending champions but were unable to break down the Indomitable Lionesses for a record 11th title.

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