Banyana Banyana will be without Thembi Kgatlana at the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) after she was excluded from the squad for unknown reasons.
Coach Desiree Ellis trimmed her WAFCON squad from 46 to 28 on Sunday and while top names like Hilda Magaia will be part of the team, Kgatlana will not after she was dropped for what was termed ‘personal reasons.’
“The 24 will be joined by four overseas-based players at a later stage as they still have club commitments and with the date of assembly falling outside of the FIFA window, their arrival in camp will be delayed by a few days,” a statement from SAFA read in part.
“Hildah Magaia will also join the camp at a later stage as she is still undergoing medical assessments following the recent #ThreeNations Challenge in Pretoria featuring Banyana Banyana, Zambia and Botswana.
Thembi Kgatlana’s absence explained
“Thembi Kgatlana will not be part of the camp in Johannesburg and will also not be selected to the WAFCON-bound squad due to personal reasons.”
The final Banyana Banyana squad will be announced on June 23 in Johannesburg before the team departs for Morocco shortly afterwards.
South Africa are looking to defend their title at the tournament set to take place in Morocco from July 5-26 with Ellis’ side in Group C alongside Ghana, Mali and Tanzania.
They will get their WAFCON campaign underway against Ghana on July 7 at the Honneur Stadium in Oujda which will also be South Africa’s base during the group stages.
