Banyana Banyana complete Algeria double as Majiya shines again

Banyana Banyana made it two wins from two in their high-profile friendly series against Algeria, securing a clinical 2-0 victory at the King Zwelithini Stadium in Umlazi on Friday afternoon.

Following a narrow 1-0 win in the opening encounter earlier this week, Desiree Ellis’ charges produced an improved second-half display to seal a confidence-boosting double over the North Africans.

The afternoon was particularly significant for versatile defender Karabo Dhlamini, who was honoured for reaching the milestone of 50 caps in national team colours. Ellis utilised the fixture to test her squad depth, making six changes to the starting lineup that featured on Tuesday. tbzikra.com

The big 50 for Cream.#SasolinSport#LiveTheImpossible#BanyanaBanyana pic.twitter.com/H883gejlp6

— Sasol in Sport (@SasolinSport) April 17, 2026

Banyana Banyana beat Algeria 2-0 at King Zwelithini Stadium

Despite a bright start at a vocal King Zwelithini Stadium, the reigning African champions struggled to find their clinical edge in the final third during the opening 45 minutes.

Gabriela Salgado thought she had broken the deadlock five minutes before the interval after a slick attacking move, but her celebrations were cut short as the assistant referee’s flag went up for offside.

Algeria, under the guidance of Farid Benstiti, remained disciplined and bold in their approach, frustrating the hosts as the teams retreated to the tunnel with the scoreline level at 0-0.

MAJIYA AND O’MALLEY DELIVER THE BLOWS

Coach Ellis opted for tactical personnel changes at the start of the second period, and the impact was almost immediate.

In the 55th minute, the deadlock was finally broken. Nthabiseng Majiya, who has been in scintillating form, found the back of the net for the second time in the series. Capitalising on a short-passing sequence on the edge of the area, the clinical forward pounced on a defensive lapse to fire a low drive into the bottom corner.

Banyana continued to dominate possession as the clock ticked down, looking for the cushion of a second goal. It arrived in the final minutes of regulation time when Shakira O’Malley showed great composure to double the advantage, effectively ending any hopes of an Algerian comeback.

JAPAN ASSIGNMENT ON THE HORIZON

This series serves as crucial preparation for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) scheduled for later this year.

The South African senior women’s national team will now shift their focus to an international trip to Asia. They are scheduled to face world powerhouses Japan in two friendlies on June 6 and June 9 in Osaka, as Ellis continues to fine-tune her squad for continental dominance.

Portées par une Romaine Gandonou en feu, les Amazones U17 du Bénin ont réalisé un exploit ce vendredi après-midi au stade de Kégué (Togo) en s’imposant 4-0 face aux Étalons Dames U17 du Burkina Faso au match retour. Après une défaite 3-1 à l’aller au Stade du 4 Août de Ouagadougou, les Amazones U17 du Bénin ont renversé la vapeur avec autorité et se qualifient pour le deuxième tour des éliminatoires de la Coupe du Monde Féminine U17, Maroc 2026.

L’attaquante vedette Romaine Gandonou, déjà décisive à l’aller, a été la grande héroïne de la remontada historique en inscrivant un quadruplé (quatre buts). Une performance rare qui a totalement étouffé les Etalons Dames U17 du Burkina Faso et permis aux Amazones U17 du Bénin de l’emporter sur un score sans appel de 4-0. Ce succès porte le score cumulé à 5-3 en faveur du Bénin, validant ainsi sa qualification au terme d’une double confrontation intense.

Menées 3-1 à l’issue de la manche aller des éliminatoires de la Coupe du Monde féminine U17 2026, les Amazones U17 du Bénin ont renversé la vapeur grâce à leur attaquante vedette Romaine Gandonou, déjà décisive à l’aller.

Romaine a été la grande héroïne de l’après-midi en… pic.twitter.com/ka9dvjdc1J

— Ablam GNAMESSO (@AblamGnamesso) April 17, 2026

Prochain défi : un duel contre le vainqueur de Sierra Leone – Côte d’Ivoire

Grâce à cette qualification, le Bénin accède au deuxième tour des éliminatoires zone Afrique. Les Amazones U17 du Bénin affronteront en double confrontation (aller et retour, les 22-24 et 29-31 mai 2026) le vainqueur du duel entre la Sierra Leone et la Côte d’Ivoire.

Ce prochain adversaire sera connu après le match retour de ce vendredi entre les deux équipes ouest-africaines. Une affiche qui promet d’être relevée pour les Amazones U17 du Bénin, qui confirmera leur belle dynamique du moment.

Les Algériens poussent à la recherche d’un but qui va leur permettre de remettre les pendules à l’heure. Il y a d’abord cette frappe de Belhocini, sur un corner, dégagé par un pied défensif, et puis le centre tir de Khacef depuis la gauche, qui ne trouve personne alors que Soliman a freiné le ballon. 60′ : Zamalek – CR Belouizdad 0-0 (aller 1-0)

L’article DIRECT Coupe de la CAF – Zamalek vs CR Belouizdad : Belhocini et Khacef en échec (60′, 0-0) est apparu en premier sur AfricaFootUnited.

Trabzonspor striker Paul Onuachu returned to full training ahead of Sunday’s Turkish Süper Lig clash with Istanbul Başakşehir.

The towering forward sat out Trabzonspor’s 1-1 draw against Alanyaspor last weekend due to injury.

The stalemate ended the Black Sea Storm’s seven-game winning streak. The 32-year-old was spotted training with his teammates in the latest footage released by the club.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Trabzonspor (@trabzonspor)

Onuachu’s impact this season

The striker is enjoying a career year for Trabzonspor this season, spearheading the club’s push for their first league title since 2022.

The Nigerian international has provided 22 goals and 2 assists in 25 league appearances.

He currently leads the Super Lig scoring charts, with Trabzonspor sitting third in the table with 64 points from 29 matches.