CAPE TOWN – Banyana Banyana goalkeeper Kaylin Swart has called on her teammates to leave everything on the pitch when they face Burkina Faso in a decisive CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) 2026 Group B clash at Stade Moulay Rachid in Casablanca on Tuesday night.
With a place in the next round hanging in the balance, South Africa know that only a strong performance and a positive result will secure their passage to the knockout stages after an inconsistent start to their title defence.
Reflecting on the tournament so far, Swart admitted that luck has not been on Banyana’s side, but believes the unpredictability of this year’s competition highlights the rapid growth of women’s football across the continent.
“The soccer gods haven’t really been on our side this time around, but I think that just shows how much the game has grown,” Swart said.
“You know, WAFCON has never been this surprising and it’s actually pretty exciting for the viewers, for people watching. But for us, this game is going to take everything out of us.”
The experienced shot-stopper stressed that the encounter against Burkina Faso demands complete commitment from every player, with Banyana determined to avoid depending on results elsewhere.
“This game is going to take everything out of us. We’re going to have to give 100 percent or even more and we have to go to war to get three points,” she said.
“I think it’s fortunate that Tanzania and Burkina Faso kind of went our way. But that was the last thing we wanted, to rely on other teams to get results or not get results.”
Banyana Banyana have faced a tougher-than-expected road through Group B, leaving their qualification hopes to be decided in the final round of matches.
Swart believes the situation should serve as a timely reminder of the standards required to compete at the highest level.
“I think now hopefully this was the best wake-up call for us as a team to really put our full efforts forward, make all the wrongs right and fight for three points,” she added.
