Banyana Banyana secured a commanding 4-0 victory over Madagascar in the first leg of their 2028 Olympic qualifiers tie at Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein on Friday afternoon. The win puts them in a strong position to progress to the third round of the qualifiers. The second leg will be held at the same venue on Tuesday night, where Banyana will enjoy home advantage and expect strong fan support. Madagascar, the designated "hosts" for Friday's clash, opted to play behind closed doors.
Striker Ronnel Donnelly was the star of the show, scoring a sensational hat-trick. She opened the scoring in the 27th minute, rising highest inside the box to steer home Karabo Dhlamini's corner kick off her chest and into the net. Donnelly and Dhlamini combined again shortly after, with Dhlamini whipping in another precise corner to find an unmarked Donnelly, who controlled the ball, turned sharply, and drilled a low shot into the bottom corner.
Banyana played with absolute control throughout the first half, dominating possession and building a commanding lead. Goalkeeper Andile Dlamini was rarely tested, even joining in the celebrations as her teammates created scoring opportunities. Donnelly sealed her first international hat-trick before the break after Fikile Magama latched onto a through ball down the right flank and squared it across goal for the Mamelodi Sundowns striker to finish emphatically.
The scoring continued in the second half, with Hildah Magaia adding the fourth goal. Dhlamini capped off a stellar performance by claiming her third assist of the afternoon, threading a pass through to Magaia. Magaia rounded the goalkeeper with a sharp drop of the shoulder before firing towards an empty net, with Madagascar's Emmilene Solange bundling the ball over the line in a desperate clearance attempt.
Coach Desiree Ellis saw her side repay her faith in style, having called up her strongest squad for the qualifiers. Ellis will look to give fresh faces an opportunity in Tuesday's second leg as Banyana aim to complete the job in style. Several core players were rested for this clash, and while the job was already done, Ellis will be looking for a strong performance to build crucial momentum ahead of the third qualification round between February and March next year.
The win also bodes well for Banyana's broader ambitions, including the upcoming 2027 World Cup play-off qualifiers later this year. The team had a disappointing Wafcon campaign, but a free-scoring and solid defensive performance against Madagascar suggests they are building momentum. Banyana will look to maintain their intensity in the second leg to ensure a strong performance.
Banyana Banyana's performance was a significant improvement from their recent Wafcon campaign. The team's ability to score freely and defend solidly will be crucial in their future matches. With the second leg to be played on Tuesday, Banyana will look to finish the job and progress to the next round of the 2028 Olympic qualifiers.
Key points
- Ronnel Donnelly scored a hat-trick in Banyana Banyana's 4-0 win over Madagascar.
- Banyana Banyana have a commanding lead in the 2028 Olympic qualifiers tie.
- Coach Desiree Ellis will look to give fresh faces an opportunity in Tuesday's second leg.
