Ellis Confident South Africa Can Beat Nigeria in World Cup Play-Off

South Africa coach Desiree Ellis believes Banyana Banyana have what it takes to beat Nigeria on Thursday and keep their hopes of qualifying for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup alive.

The two teams will meet in a crucial African play-off in Casablanca after both were knocked out of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations at the quarter-final stage.

South Africa lost 2-1 to hosts Morocco on Saturday, while Nigeria suffered a 1-0 defeat to Cameroon on Sunday.

The result means the two African giants must now battle for one of Africa’s places in the inter-confederation play-offs for the 2027 World Cup.

Despite the defeat to Morocco, Ellis was pleased with her team’s performance and believes it has given them confidence ahead of the clash with Nigeria.

“I can be very proud of the team. We knew how important this game was, and I think everybody that stepped onto the field can be proud that they gave everything,” Ellis said.

The South African coach congratulated Morocco for reaching the World Cup but said her team still has a chance to achieve its own goal.

Ellis admitted that there is little time to recover from the Morocco defeat, but said her technical team must quickly prepare for the important game against Nigeria.

“We didn’t want to go that route, but it’s been thrown at us. The dice turned the other way, and we reminded them that we need to get ready for that game,” she said.

She added that Banyana Banyana must forget the disappointment and focus on the opportunity ahead.

“We are just focusing on the next game, but obviously we’ll have to recover really quickly and then prepare for that game,” Ellis added.

Nigeria will also see Thursday’s match as a must-win game after their defeat to Cameroon.

The winner of the play-off will not qualify directly for the 2027 World Cup but will advance to the inter-confederation play-offs.

According to FIFA’s qualification format, two African teams will take part in the global play-off tournament alongside teams from other confederations.

The first stage is expected to take place in November and December 2026 at a centralised venue.

Six teams — two from Asia, two from Africa, one from South America and one from Oceania — will compete for two places in the final play-off stage.