21 September 2018 – Sasol-sponsored Banyana Banyana will lock horns with Cameroon in the final of the 2018 COSAFA Women’s Championship on Saturday, 22 September 2018.

The top of the table clash takes place at the Wolfson Stadium in Port Elizabeth at 12h00.

South Africa, who are the hosts and defending champions, have won this tournament a record four times (2002, 2006, 2008 & 2017), while Cameroon come into the competition as one of the two invited guests (the other being East Africans Uganda, who will be contesting the third/fourth place play off against Zambia).

Twelve teams took part in the tournament – South Africa (hosts and defending champions); Cameroon (invited guest – Central Africa), Uganda (invited guest – East Africa), Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland.

This is the fifth meeting between the two sides – Banyana Banyana has won one, drew one and lost two.

The first loss came in 2014.

There were three matches in 2016 – South Africa won 2-0 with Nompumelelo Nyandeni and Linda Motlhalo goals. This was followed by a 2-all draw, Motlhalo and Chantelle Essau the goal scorers.

In the last meeting in November, Cameroon triumphed 1-0.

 

PREVIOUS MEETINGS:

11 October 2014

AWC in Namibia

Banyana Banyana 0 – 1 Cameroon

 

25 March 2016

Friendly international:

Cameroon 0 – 2 Banyana (Nompumelelo Nyandeni and Linda Motlhalo)

 

28 March 2016

Friendly international:

Cameroon 2 – 2 Banyana Banyana (Chantelle Esau and Linda Motlhalo)

 

22 November 2016

AWCON in Cameroon:

Cameroon 1 – 0 Banyana Banyana

 

FACT FILE:

SOUTH AFRICA:

  • South Africa has won the COSAFA Women’s Championship 4 times – 2002, 2006, 2008, 2017
  • (lost final to Zimbabwe in 2011)
  • 2018 COSAFA Women’s Championship is the SIXTH EDITION of the tournament
  • All of South Africa, Zambia and Cameroon have qualified for the 2018 AFCON
  • South Africa is hosting the COSAFA Women’s Championship for the first time (Zimbabwe             has hosted 3 times, Zambia once as well as Angola)
  • The hosts are ranked 4thon the continent (48thin the world)
  • Head coach Desiree Ellis has used all the players in her squad, and so far only Refiloe Jane and Lebohang Ramalepe have played every minute of every match
  • They have won all their four games
  • Banyana Banyana has scored 11 goals, conceding only one through a penalty (against Madagascar)
  • There are five goal scorers – Linda Motlhalo (4), Khanya Xesi (3), Jermaine Seoposenwe (2), Kgaelebane Mohlakoana (1), Nothando Vilakazi (1)
  • Motlhalo is the tournament’s top goal scorer, just one above Xesi and Mpeh Bissong of Cameroon
  • Of the 20 players in the squad, only 11 were part of the team that won the trophy in Zimbabwe last year – 2017 COSAFA CUP, Zimbabwe

Goalkeepers: BARKER, DLAMINI

Defenders: RAMALEPE, MOGOLOLA, VILAKAZI, MBANE

Midfielders: BIYANA, JANE, NYANDENI, KGATLANA

Forward: MATLOU

  • Jane was the captain
  • The following players were not in Zimbabwe in 2017, and Van Wyk is the captain in 2018 –

Goalkeeper: SWART                                                                                                                            

Defender: VAN WYK

Midfielders: MOHLAKOANA, LETSOSO, MOTLHALO, MORIFI, SALGADO

Strikers: SEOPOSENWE, XESI

 

ROAD TO THE FINAL:

SA            2 – 1        MADAGASCAR

SA            1 – 0        BOTSWANA

SA            6 – 0        MALAWI

SA            2 – 0        UGANDA (semifinals)

 

 

CAMEROON:

  • qualified for the last FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada in 2015
  • were also at the London Olympic Games IN 2012
  • Finshed as runners-up in the last two AFCON tournaments
  • Have again qualified for the 2018 edition to be held in Ghana from 17 November 2018.
  • In their previsous 11 AFCON appearances, they have only finished outside of the last four once, in South Africa in 2000
  • Cameroon are ranked 3rdon the continent (48thin the world)
  • They are the highest goal scorers in a single match in the tournament – winning 8-1 against Mozambique
  • They have scored a total of 15 goals, and conceded two goals
  • Have lost one match in the competition

 

ROAD TO THE FINAL:

CAMEROON         8 – 1        MOZAMBIQUE

CAMEROON         0 – 1        ZAMBIA

CAMEROON         6 – 1        LESOTHO

CAMEROON         1 – 0        ZAMBIA (semi-finals)