Banyana Banyana crowned Three Nations Series champions

South Africa’s senior women’s national team, Banyana Banyana, were crowned champions of the Three Nations Series, held from 28 May to 3 June at Lucas Moripe Stadium, after impressive victories over Botswana (3-2) and Zambia (2-0).

The series, which featured South Africa, Botswana, and Zambia, offered a crucial opportunity for head coach Desiree Ellis and her technical team to evaluate the squad ahead of the upcoming Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) qualifiers.

Banyana finished the tournament unbeaten, scoring five goals and conceding just two.

In their final game against Zambia, South Africa delivered a composed and disciplined performance, securing a 2-0 victory against the Copper Queens.

Seoposenwe makes it 2-0 to Banyana Banyana pic.twitter.com/HYKwLzUAnl
— Banyana_Banyana (@Banyana_Banyana) June 3, 2025

Despite several squad members being unavailable due to illness, the team stepped up — led by stand-in captain and Player of the Match, Lebohang Ramalepe.

“To be honest it was a tough encounter after most of our players caught the flu,” Ramalepe said post-match.

“But I think the resistance that we gave today didn’t show that we had some of the players missing. We need to continue doing our job well because it’s part of the preparations. All in all, we just need to be proud of ourselves for today — even though we showed up with a smaller number [of players], we managed to play until the last minute.”

RAMALEPE ALSO REFLECTED ON THE UNITY WITHIN THE SQUAD:

“We know each other as Banyana Banyana players, we’ve been playing together for a long time. I think it’s been eight days in camp now and that’s helped us rekindle our relationship as teammates. Even today, we fought on the pitch for the other players who couldn’t make it, and I am proud of the girls.”

THE DEFENDER, WHO LED WITH COMPOSURE AND EXPERIENCE, ALSO PRAISED THE FANS:

“It’s a good thing to see supporters and fans today. Even in our previous game we had a lot of children show up to support and watch. It shows that what we are doing is right, and I think it motivates them.”

Coach Ellis echoed the sentiment of pride in the team’s effort, highlighting the tactical execution and depth of the squad:

“We stuck to the game plan, denied them space, and moved the ball quickly. We pressed them when they had the ball, and that’s something we’ve worked on. There’s still a lot of work to do, but today was a true team effort.”

ELLIS NOTED STRONG INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCES AND PRAISED THE VERSATILITY ON DISPLAY:

“It’s a big plus for us that Bambanani Mbane and Karabo Dhlamini played back-to-back 90 minutes after injury. Refiloe Jane got 60 minutes. Jermaine Seoposenwe and Amogelang Motau were coming from their off-season and stepped up. Bongeka Gamede’s magnificent free kick and the way we scored the second goal — catching them upfront — were great moments.”

THE COACH ALSO EXPERIMENTED WITH NEW PLAYER COMBINATIONS IN PREPARATION FOR WAFCON:

“Playing Ramalepe out wide is part of trying out combinations. Karabo played at left center back before and today she was at left back. It helps us build options for a smaller squad — versatility is going to be important.”

Banyana Banyana emerged as the winners of the #ThreeNations challenge on Tuesday, a tri-nations tournament that also featured Zambia and Botswana.#LiveTheImpossible @SABC_Sport pic.twitter.com/pd1Nxs9AoJ
— Banyana_Banyana (@Banyana_Banyana) June 3, 2025