South Africa’s U-17 women’s national team, the Bantwana, fell short of advancing to the final qualifying round of the 2025 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
Cyber Reporters reports that despite a valiant effort, the team suffered a 2-0 defeat to Nigeria’s Flamingos in the second leg of their second qualifying round tie.
The match took place at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne on Saturday, and the loss marked a disappointing end to the Bantwana’s qualifying campaign.
When combined with the 3-1 defeat in the first leg, Nigeria progressed to the final qualifying round with a convincing 5-1 aggregate score.
Head coach Ntombifuthi Khumalo expressed her pride in the team’s performance, despite the disappointing outcome.
“I’m proud of my girls, despite not making it to the next stage,” Khumalo said. She acknowledged that Nigeria’s team was stronger, but emphasized that her players gave their best effort.
Khumalo views the experience as a valuable learning opportunity for her team. “This is the international stage, and some of them tried their best, but Nigeria were the better team,” she said.
By facing a stronger opponent, the Bantwana gained invaluable experience that will help them grow and improve as players.
The Bantwana may not have achieved their goal of advancing to the final qualifying round, but they have taken important steps in their development as a team.
With this experience under their belt, they will be better equipped to tackle future challenges and strive for success in international competitions.
