8 March 2025 – The South African U17 women’s national team, Bantwana, put up a spirited fight against Nigeria’s Flamingos in the first leg of their FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup Qualifier but fell short with a 1-3 defeat at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Despite the result, Bantwana remain determined to turn things around in the second leg in Nigeria next weekend. Nigeria took the lead 20 minutes into the match through Shakirat Moshood before Harmony Chidi added a second three minutes from the halftime break. South Africa’s response came through captain Katleho Malebana, who calmly converted a penalty and showed great composure and leadership shortly after the restart in the second half in the 47th minute.
Chidi put the game beyond the South Africans when she completed her brace in the 68th minute. Bantwana head coach, Ntombifuthi Khumalo, acknowledged the areas that need improvement but remains hopeful for a strong comeback in Nigeria.
“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.”
Reflecting on the match, Malebana expressed optimism about the team’s chances in the return leg.
“The game wasn’t that bad, we just needed to take advantage of our opportunities next time around. We believe in ourselves, and we’ll be ready for the second leg,” she said.
Flamingos coach Olowookere Bankole praised his team’s performance but expects a tougher challenge in the return leg. “We had a good result, but we need to improve on a few things for the next game, as I know South Africa is also going to improve.”
With the second leg scheduled for 15 March 2025 at Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne-Remo, Nigeria, Bantwana will be aiming for a big performance to keep their FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup dream alive.
The final round of qualification is within reach, and South Africa’s young stars are ready to fight for their place in Morocco 2025.
