Group B of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations is wide open after South Africa staged a dramatic comeback to draw 2-2 with Côte d’Ivoire. Meanwhile, Burkina Faso secured a historic 2-1 win over Tanzania, making the race for the quarter-finals very interesting.
After losing to Tanzania in their first match, South Africa looked headed for another defeat when Côte d’Ivoire took a two-goal lead at the Stade Père Jégo on Friday.
The Lady Elephants controlled the first half. They got on the scoreboard in the 18th minute when 18-year-old Grace Sery scored after a quick counterattack against goalkeeper Kaylyn Swart.
The young star scored again before halftime, connecting with a perfect lob from N’sira Ouedraogo and calmly finishing to make it 2-0 for Côte d’Ivoire.
Grace Sery celebrates her goal with Fofana (Credit: CAF Women on X)
South Africa came back from the break with fresh energy. Their efforts paid off in the 71st minute when captain Refilwe Jane found Thembi Kgatlana. Kgatlana’s beautiful curling shot went past Aramatou Diakite, cutting the lead to 2-1.
Banyana Banyana kept pushing for another goal in the final minutes. They got their reward when Ronnel Donnelly headed the ball to Hildah Magaia, who kept her cool to score the equalizer, completing a stunning comeback that earned South Africa a key point.
Côte d’Ivoire now leads the group with four points, while South Africa, despite being at the bottom with one point, is still in the tournament.
Earlier, Burkina Faso turned their fortunes around with a tough 2-1 win over Tanzania, marking a significant moment in WAFCON history.
After losing badly to Côte d’Ivoire in their first match, the Lady Stallions took the lead just before halftime thanks to Adele Kabré.
Tanzania faced a harder challenge 10 minutes into the second half when Hasnath Ubamba, who scored against South Africa, was sent off. This left the Twiga Stars with just 10 players.
Despite being down a player, Tanzania fought back. Aisha Mnunka scored in the 62nd minute, bringing the score to 1-1 and reigniting their hopes for the quarter-finals.
Balkissa Sawadogo with the MVP award (Credit: CAF Women on X)
But Burkina Faso had the last word. With 10 minutes left, Bilkissa Sawadogo scored the winning goal, securing all three points for the Lady Stallions and their first win in the tournament.
These results have made Group B one of the most unpredictable groups in the tournament. Côte d’Ivoire is at the top with four points, while Tanzania and Burkina Faso are tied at three points. South Africa’s late comeback leaves them with one point, but they can still qualify.
With all four teams having a chance to progress, the final matches in Group B promise to be exciting as they fight for the two quarter-final spots.
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