Ten years. That is how long it has been since Banyana Banyana last walked out at an Olympic Games, in Rio in 2016, and nobody in Bloemfontein tonight will need reminding. A 4-0 lead should feel like a cushion. For this team it feels more like a debt being paid off, one round at a time. Tonight’s Banyana-Madagascar Olympic qualifier, the second leg of round two, is the next step on the long road to Los Angeles 2028.
And this time the stands will not be empty.
| Quick facts | |
|---|---|
| Fixture | South Africa (Banyana Banyana) v Madagascar |
| Competition | 2028 Olympic Games qualifiers, Africa, round two, second leg |
| Date | Tuesday 13 October 2026 |
| Kick-off | 18:00 SAST |
| Venue | Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein |
| First leg | Madagascar 0 South Africa 4 (Friday 9 October, same venue) |
| Tickets | Ticketpro: R50 adults, R20 under-12s |
| On TV | No broadcaster named by SAFA at the time of writing |
Why two missed Olympics hang over this tie
Banyana went to London in 2012 and to Rio in 2016, and the Sowetan notes that both campaigns ended in the group stage. Then the door shut. They did not make Tokyo and they did not make Paris, and Desiree Ellis has not tried to dress that up.
“We haven’t qualified for last two Olympic Games, we got knocked out in the first round in 2019, we reached the final round against Nigeria and lost narrowly,” she told SAFA’s media team before the first leg.
That is the weight behind a tie against the 191st-ranked team in the world. The African route to Los Angeles is long and narrow: five two-legged rounds, 35 nations at the start, and only two places at the Games, which run from 11 to 29 July 2028. Banyana, the 2022 champions of Africa, skipped round one with a bye. Cameroon hold the continental crown now, and our Africa Cup of Nations guide has the bigger continental picture. Get through tonight and Banyana are one of 16 teams left standing, which is where the real climb starts.
There is a second clock ticking too. Banyana head to the FIFA Women’s World Cup intercontinental play-offs in November, chasing a ticket to Brazil, and Ellis has called this camp a two-fold exercise: get through this round, and sharpen the side for the play-offs, with no other FIFA window to prepare in.
How Friday unfolded
The first leg was a strange occasion, mostly because nobody was allowed in to watch it. Madagascar were the official home side but have no CAF-approved ground of their own, so they chose the Free State Stadium as their home venue, then asked for the match to be played without spectators. Banyana scored four in an echoing stadium.
Ronnel Donnelly scored three of them. The Mamelodi Sundowns forward started ahead of Thembi Kgatlana, and IOL reported it as her first international hat-trick. Two of her goals came from Karabo Dhlamini corners: one steered in off her chest, the other controlled, turned and drilled low. Tonight’s tie is also the One to Watch in this morning’s Fluit’s Five.
“There were nerves at first, but after my first goal, I gained some confidence. I am happy and excited,” she told SAFA’s media team afterwards, as carried by IOL.
Not everyone left satisfied, which is a good sign. Linda Motlhalo, named by IOL as the match captain, wanted more from all that possession. “It was a good job from the ladies, but we hold ourselves to higher standards. In terms of how we play, there’s still work to be done,” she said.
Team news for the Banyana-Madagascar Olympic qualifier
Two players are missing, and both absences are officially confirmed.
- One player has been released from camp with an injury, SAFA said on Monday, and Lelona Daweti of Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies has been called into the squad as her replacement.
- Bambanani Mbane, the experienced defender, went home before the first leg to continue her injury rehabilitation, and Ellis confirmed after Friday that she is still in rehab.
The overseas players joined up last week: Kgatlana (Mexico), Motlhalo (Scotland), Bongeka Gamede (Denmark) and Hildah Magaia (Saudi Arabia) were in camp by Wednesday, with Amogelang Motau (Mexico) due that afternoon. Captain Refiloe Jane is part of the 24-player squad, and Siyamthanda Qashani of the University of Pretoria, the only newcomer in the group, made a cameo off the bench on Friday.
No starting line-up has been announced, so treat any team you see before kick-off with care. What we do know is the direction Ellis is leaning. She said after Friday that “A lot of players who were expected to play didn’t play,” and that the fringe of the squad deserved a proper look: “We have to trust and believe in the squad. Otherwise, what are they doing here?” She also liked what she saw from two senior players in new roles on Friday, Motlhalo as a No. 6 and Noxolo Cesane as a No. 10. IOL expects more new faces tonight. With four goals in hand and a World Cup play-off a few weeks away, it would be a surprise if she did not experiment.
What Ellis said before the second leg
The message from the coach is simple: respect the opponent, finish the job, and do it properly. In comments SAFA published on Monday evening, she would not let the scoreline make anyone comfortable.
“The plan is to first secure the game, 4-0 doesn’t mean we can underestimate them, we still have to play really well from the start to make sure that they don’t get a foothold in the game,” Ellis said.
She was also honest about how big the gap looks on paper. “We said we wanted to take the tie away from them and I don’t want to sound disrespectful, but we have to play really badly that we don’t get through this round, but we still have to put up a professional performance.”
The best line was about the crowd. Before this week, Banyana had not played in Bloemfontein since a 2018 qualifier against Lesotho, The Citizen notes, and Ellis is counting on the city to make some noise after Friday’s silence: “there’s no two ways about it that you come to Bloemfontein and not have a crowd.”
Then she framed the whole evening in one sentence. “We also have to be at our best when we play better opposition, this is a rehearsal but it’s still an Olympic qualifier.”
In an interview with the Bloemfontein Courant, carried by The Citizen on Monday, she pointed out that Banyana had played Madagascar before at the COSAFA Cup and that teams keep improving year after year. “So, we’re not going to take this game lightly.”
Madagascar: a long way from home
Spare a thought for the islanders. They earned this tie by getting past South Sudan in round one, then found themselves playing both legs in the Free State because they do not have a stadium cleared by CAF for international football. Friday’s closed-door request was theirs, and so is tonight’s task, which on the numbers is enormous. To go through, they would need to win by four clear goals just to draw level on aggregate.
Ranked 191st in the world, they are the kind of opponent that tests a favourite’s concentration more than its quality. That is why Ellis keeps using the word professional. A sloppy night would almost certainly not cost Banyana this tie, but it would send the wrong signal into November.
What comes next for Banyana
Get through tonight, and round three follows in February and March 2027, when the 16 surviving teams meet over two legs and eight go through. Round four is set for October 2027 and the final round for November and December 2027, with two African tickets to Los Angeles at the end of it. CAF’s April draw fixed the path from round three onwards, but we have not confirmed Banyana’s round-three opponent from an official source, so we have not named one here.
Before any of that comes November and the World Cup play-offs. For the full story of this team, from the 2022 title to the Olympic drought, see our Banyana Banyana team page. The men’s side are on a qualifying mission of their own, and our coverage of Bafana Bafana’s AFCON 2027 qualifiers follows their road to the finals.
Tonight, though, is about one thing. Finish it, finish it well, and let Bloemfontein hear what an Olympic campaign sounds like.
Frequently asked questions
What time is Banyana Banyana v Madagascar tonight?
The second leg kicks off at 18:00 SAST on Tuesday 13 October 2026 at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein. Fans are allowed in this time, with tickets on Ticketpro at R50 for adults and R20 for children under 12.
What was the score in the first leg between Banyana and Madagascar?
Banyana won 4-0 on Friday 9 October at the same stadium, with Ronnel Donnelly scoring a hat-trick. The match was played without spectators at Madagascar’s request.
Why are both Banyana v Madagascar games in Bloemfontein?
Madagascar do not have a CAF-approved venue for international matches, so they hosted their home leg at the Free State Stadium. Tonight’s second leg is Banyana’s home game at the same ground.
Where can I watch Banyana v Madagascar?
SAFA had not named a broadcaster in its match announcements when this preview was written. Check SAFA’s official channels before kick-off, or get a ticket for the stadium.
Who do Banyana play next in Olympic qualifying?
If they finish the job tonight, Banyana go into round three, played in February and March 2027, when 16 teams remain. CAF set the round-three pairings in a fixed bracket at the April draw; ScoreLine will name the opponent once it is confirmed officially. Only two African teams will reach the Los Angeles Games in July 2028.