Linda Motlhalo believes Banyana Banyana remain one of the continent’s powerhouses, insisting South Africa’s women’s national team will arrive at the next Women’s Africa Cup of Nations as a marked target rather than underdogs.

South Africa’s breakthrough WAFCON triumph in Morocco in 2022 ended decades of near-misses and confirmed Banyana’s rise to the summit of the African game. Their title defence ended in the semi-finals against eventual champions Nigeria, but Motlhalo argues that setback has not diminished their status.

The Glasgow City midfielder says opponents still see South Africa as a benchmark.

“I feel like every time, it doesn’t matter who we compete against; the other teams are always on their A-game,” she said. “So I wouldn’t say we are underdogs. I would always say that we are the team that people want to punish.”

That perception has been shaped by a core group of overseas-based stars who carried Banyana to glory in 2022. Then, the likes of Refiloe Jane, Thembi Kgatlana, Noko Matlou, Jermaine Seoposenwe and Motlhalo formed the backbone of a side that finally converted promise into silverware.

Matlou and Seoposenwe have since stepped away from international duty, while Jane, Kgatlana and Motlhalo have moved into senior-leader territory. The coming tournament will test not only their enduring quality but also the depth of the next generation emerging around them.

Motlhalo is adamant that South Africa’s production line is still strong. She points to the SAFA Girls Academy, formerly the High Performance Centre, as a crucial foundation where players receive elite coaching from an early age.

“South Africa is still producing players like me and Thembi Kgatlana,” she said. “You go there at around 12 and that’s where you get your basics. I think there are still players that are being produced in South Africa.”

Defender Karabo Dhlamini and goalkeeper Kaylin Swart are among the academy’s notable graduates, while Motlhalo and Kgatlana themselves refined their talents at TuksSport High School, combining education with high-performance training.

At club level, the landscape is slowly shifting. Mamelodi Sundowns Women have set the standard domestically and continentally, and Kaizer Chiefs’ decision to launch a women’s team has added another aspirational pathway for young girls. Orlando Pirates remain the only member of South Africa’s traditional “big three” without a women’s side.

“Kaizer Chiefs now have a women’s team, so that is amazing, but we would like more teams to have women’s teams. In that way, women’s football can grow in South Africa,” Motlhalo said.

For now, Banyana’s strength still leans heavily on the domestic game. Only four players in the preliminary WAFCON squad are based abroad: Motlhalo, Kgatlana at Tigres UANL, Amogelang Motau at Club Tijuana and Bongeka Gamede at Nordsjælland. Twelve of the 31 players come from Mamelodi Sundowns, seven from the University of the Western Cape and five from JVW FC, underlining the importance of local structures.

Captain Refiloe Jane now turns out for TS Galaxy, goalkeeper Katlego Moletsane represents the University of Fort Hare, and forward Hildah Magaia is currently unattached, adding another layer of uncertainty to coach Desiree Ellis’ selection puzzle as the squad is trimmed to 26.

South Africa’s group-stage path will run through Tanzania, Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso in Casablanca. For Motlhalo, those fixtures are less a test of whether Banyana still belong among Africa’s elite and more an opportunity to prove that their 2022 triumph was the start of a sustained era at the top.