South Africa’s hopes of qualifying for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup remain alive, but Banyana Banyana now face a considerably longer route to Brazil after their WAFCON quarter-final defeat to Morocco. Banyana suffered a 2-1 defeat to the hosts on Saturday, missing out on a place in the semi-finals and, crucially, automatic qualification for next year’s global showpiece.
The four teams that reach the WAFCON semi-finals will qualify directly for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, while the four quarter-final losers have been handed another opportunity to secure a place through a play-off route.
For Banyana, that journey starts on Thursday when they take on the loser of Sunday’s quarter-final between Nigeria and Cameroon. Head coach Desiree Ellis’s charges must win that encounter to keep their World Cup hopes alive.
The four teams eliminated at the quarter-final stage will enter another round of play-off matches. They will be paired against each other, with the two winners advancing to the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 Play-Off Tournament.
That means Banyana cannot afford another defeat. Victory on Thursday would move Ellis’ side one step closer to Brazil, while a loss would bring their World Cup campaign to an end.
WHAT IS THE FIFA WORLD CUP PLAY-OFF TOURNAMENT?
If Banyana win their African play-off, they will progress to the FIFA Play-Off Tournament, where 10 teams from across the world will battle for the remaining places at the 2027 Women’s World Cup.
Africa will have two representatives in the tournament. The first phase will feature six teams – two from CAF, two from the AFC, one from CONMEBOL and one from the OFC.
Those six teams will compete in November and December 2026, with the two highest-ranked teams progressing directly to the final phase.
They will then be joined by four teams – two from Concacaf, one from CONMEBOL and one from UEFA – in the final phase scheduled for February 2027.
The six teams in the final phase will then compete for the remaining World Cup places.
For Banyana, that means the road to Brazil could now stretch well beyond the WAFCON and require several more high-pressure matches.
The immediate priority, however, is Thursday’s African play-off. The 2027 Women’s World Cup will be hosted by Brazil across eight cities from 24 June to 25 July 2027, with 32 teams from six confederations set to compete for the coveted title.