South Africa took command of Group B of the 2018 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations with a 7-1 win over Equatorial Guinea Wednesday night.
Thembi Kgatlana, who will emerge ‘Player of the Match’ for the second time, scored twice as a rampant Banyana Banyana cruised to successive victories at the Cape Coast Sports Stadium.
The victory leaves the South Africans top of the group and needing just a point from their final game against Zambia to make sure of a semifinal spot after tearing the Equato-Guineans to shreds with pace and precision passing.
Linda Motlhalo opened the scoring from the penalty-spot and Nompumelelo Nyandeni added a second, but some poor defending allowed Elena Nkuandum to pull one back for the Central Africans just before halftime.
But the second half was all Banyana as Refiloe Jane added a third and Kgatlana a quick-fire brace, before Amanda Mthandi and Jermaine Seoposenwe got their names on the scoresheet.
Banyana must finish in the top three in this tournament to achieve their aim of qualifying for the Fifa Women’s World Cup in France next year.
South Africa will travel to the Accra Sports Stadium to wrap up their group stage campaign against Coasafa neighbours Zambia on Saturday.
