Banyana Banyana's Dramatic Comeback at WAFCON

South Africa are still breathing in Morocco – but only just.

Two goals down to Ivory Coast in Casablanca and staring at the brink of an early Women’s Africa Cup of Nations exit, Banyana Banyana dragged themselves back from the edge with a furious second-half fightback to snatch a 2-2 draw.

The response came from their biggest names. Thembi Kgatlana struck first after the break to halve the deficit and jolt South Africa into belief. The tempo rose, the tackles bit harder, and suddenly Ivory Coast, who had looked comfortable, began to retreat.

The pressure finally told in the dying seconds. Hildah Magaia, so often the player for the big moment, delivered again with an equaliser scored just seconds before the final whistle. From despair to relief in a heartbeat, Banyana had their lifeline.

It was their first point of the tournament, and it arrived the hard way. Two games into Group B, South Africa sit on a single point, three behind Ivory Coast and level only in spirit, not in standings. The table makes for cold reading: Banyana no longer control their own fate.

Tanzania, also on three points, now hold the keys. A Tanzanian victory over Burkina Faso in this evening’s other Group B clash in Casablanca would seal their place in the quarterfinals and heap even more pressure on South Africa’s shoulders.

Banyana’s final group match comes against Burkina Faso on Tuesday. The equation is brutally simple: win, and then hope. Hope the numbers fall kindly. Hope that this late surge in Casablanca was not just a defiant moment, but the spark that keeps their WAFCON campaign alive a little longer.