Bantwana Face Uphill Battle After 3-1 Defeat to Nigeria in FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Qualifier

Pretoria, South Africa – March 8, 2025

South Africa’s U-17 women’s national team, Bantwana, will need a strong performance in the second leg of their FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifier after suffering a 3-1 defeat to Nigeria’s Flamingos at the Lucas Moripe Stadium on Saturday.

Despite showing resilience, Bantwana struggled to contain Nigeria’s attacking threats, falling behind in the 20th minute when Shakirat Moshood found the back of the net. The Flamingos continued to press, and just before halftime, they were awarded a penalty, which prolific forward Harmony Chidi converted in the 40th minute, extending Nigeria’s lead to 2-0.

Bantwana responded admirably after the restart, with captain Katleho Malebana converting a penalty in the 47th minute to bring South Africa back into the contest. However, their hopes of a comeback were short-lived as Chidi struck again in the 68th minute, restoring Nigeria’s two-goal cushion.

While the result was a setback, Bantwana showed flashes of quality and determination. Coach Ntombifuthi Khumalo emphasized the need for defensive improvements ahead of the return leg.

“Once our opponents put pressure on us, that’s where we fail to protect our posts. That’s the challenge we need to fix before we head into the second leg. The girls showed resilience, and we know what we need to work on,” Khumalo stated.

Captain Malebana also expressed optimism despite the defeat. “The game wasn’t that bad; we just needed to take advantage of our opportunities. We believe in ourselves, and we’ll be ready for the second leg.”

With the second leg scheduled for Saturday, March 15, 2025, at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne-Remo, Bantwana will need to overturn a two-goal deficit to keep their World Cup hopes alive. The aggregate winner will advance to the final round of qualifiers, where four teams will secure spots alongside host nation Morocco for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, set for October 17 to November 8, 2025.

South Africa’s young stars now have one last chance to prove themselves on the international stage. The return leg promises to be a test of character and determination as Bantwana look to pull off an upset in Nigeria.