Banyana Banyana midfielder Gabriela Moodaly-Salgado believes the side’s struggles at this year’s Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) have actually brought them closer together.

Desiree Ellis’ side will play Morocco tomorrow in the WAFCON quarterfinals, with the winner sealing a place not just in the last four, but also in next year’s Fifa Women’s World Cup finals in Brazil.

Yet for a long time at this tournament, it looked like Banyana may miss out on the knockout stages altogether. They lost their opening Group B match to Tanzania, and were 2-0 down to Ivory Coast, heading into the last 20 minutes.

A stoppage time goal from Hildah Magaia grabbed a 2-2 draw in that match, however, and Banyana then beat Burkina Faso 1-0 to scramble into a last eight meeting with the host nation in Rabat.

“It is not how you start but how you progress,” Moodaly-Salgado told SAFA media after the win over Burkina Faso, which marked the 28 year-old’s 50th appearance for Banyana.

“It (our struggles) has actually brought us closer together. We know that if we have each other’s back nothing can stop us.

“We must also remember we don’t play just for ourselves but for everyone out there.”

Banyana and Morocco have met once before at the WAFCON, with South Africa capturing their first ever continental crown when they beat the hosts 2-1 in the final in Rabat in July 2022.

Magaia got both goals on the day and will again be one of Banyana’s main attacking threats against Morocco on Saturday, along with Thembi Kgatlana.

Kgatlana, like Banyana, was a bit slow to get going in this year’s competition but has now scored in her last two matches.

“Most important is that we recover and arrive in the quarterfinals fresh,” Kgatlana told Safa media.

“The best thing is that we do have experience of being in the tournament, we have played in the WAFCON so many times. We understand how important it is to focus on ourselves and take it one game at a time.”