South Africa and Tanzania Women faced off on July 11, 2025, in the Group C stage of the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, held at the Honneur Stadium in Oujda, Morocco. South Africa entered the match after a strong start to the tournament, having defeated Ghana 2-0 in their opener, with goals from Linda Motihalo and Jermaine Seoposenwe[1]. This victory placed South Africa at the top of Group C, level on points with Mali, while Tanzania began the match without any points following a narrow 1-0 defeat to Mali[1].
Tanzania, also known as the Twiga Stars, welcomed back star forward Opah Clement—who missed the opening match due to suspension and whose return was highly anticipated for their clash against the defending champions[4]. South African defender Lebohang Ramalepe commented on the upcoming challenge, highlighting familiarity with several Tanzanian players and the team’s respect for their abilities[4]. Clement’s impact for Tanzania is well recognized for her creativity and scoring threat, factors South Africa’s coach Desiree Ellis acknowledged would require defensive organization[4].
Historically, South Africa holds a dominant record against Tanzania, having won all three previous encounters, including a 4-0 aggregate in their last meeting during the 2024 Olympic Games Qualifiers[1]. South Africa entered the contest on an impressive eight-game winning streak and has consistently scored at least two goals in recent matches[1].
Lineups featured familiar faces for both teams, including Opah Clement for Tanzania. Early match reports noted significant moments, including a yellow card for South Africa’s Noxolo Cesane at 24 minutes and a yellow for Jermaine Seoposenwe at 19 minutes. At 24 minutes, Opah Clement scored for Tanzania, signaling her impact on her return[2].
The match was part of a critical tie in Group C, where both teams were vying for points to secure advancement to the quarterfinals. Tournament format sees the top two from each group, along with the best two third-placed teams, progress to the next stage[7].