12 May 2026 – South African U17 Women’s National team coach Ntombifuthi Khumalo has named a squad of 23 players to face Tanzania in a two-legged 2026 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup qualifier scheduled for later this month.
The first tie of the second round will be played away in Zanzibar, Tanzania, on Saturday, 23 May at the New Aman Stadium with a 15h00 local time kickoff (16h00 in South Africa), while the return fixture will be staged on Sunday, 31 May at a venue yet to be announced.
“When we select any team, we check the nature of the competition, then the opposition. We are a country with talented players but most importantly we need players with the right attitude, and they must also be brave as this is a big stage which requires them to be strong physically and mentally because there are many challenges when you play in the national team, especially away from home,” said Khumalo.
Bantwana advanced to this stage following the withdrawal of Central African Republic (CAR) from the qualifiers. On the other hand, Tanzania brushed aside Botswana to book their spot in the second round.
The East Africans defeated The Zebras over two legs, 3-2 in Botswana and 3-0 nil at home.
“This World Cup qualifier is a knockout phase, so it is very important for us to win the upcoming two matches so we can proceed to the third and final round. It has been a long eight years since we last qualified for this tournament, and it is not good for a country like South Africa not to be playing at that level. Winning against Tanzania will edge us closer to qualification and bring hope to both the team and the entire country,”
“Also, let me convey our appreciation to the Association, Adidas and Standard Bank for the support they have given us. We don’t know much about the current Tanzania team as we could not get footage of their recent matches against Botswana, but what we are aware of is that they play direct football and they are also physical. I believe we have a strong team, and I am positive that we will do well,” said Khumalo.
Bantwana assemble for camp on Friday, 15 May and will depart for Zanzibar four days later (Tuesday, 19 May).
The third and final round will be played in July. The 2026 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup is scheduled to be staged from 17 October to 7 November 2026.
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