Desiree Ellis' South Africa squad for the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco (July 26 - August 16) features mostly locally-based talent - and more so than the last two tournaments, they will have to count on their young stars to deliver.
After Noko Matlou and Jermaine Seoposenwe retired from international duty last year -- the former before the run to the semi-finals of WAFCON 2025 and the latter afterwards -- Banyana Banyana have only four current overseas-based players in their squad.
There were eight overseas-based players in the squad that won the title under Ellis in 2022. South Africa's men's team benefits from the cohesiveness of a group that predominantly plays in the South African Premiership, but for the women's national team, the benefits of having a largely locally-based squad are fewer.
The semi-professional HollywoodBets Super League this season kicked off in May this year - two months later than expected.
Weeks later, Banyana Banyana suffered a devastating 5-0 loss to Japan before a vastly contrasting performance in a subsequent 1-0 win over the same opponents.
The chasm between Banyana's first performance against Japan and their second showed the potential for their current group of players to rapidly improve if given opportunities to sharpen their skills in conducive environments against opponents from well-resourced clubs.
Mamelodi Sundowns -- who account for 11 of the 26 players in Ellis' WAFCON squad -- have been repeatedly cited in player interviews as a club that pays women's footballers well and enables them to focus solely on football as their profession.
However, a women's league with only a few professional clubs is not the same as one with a reliable schedule packed with professional teams from top to bottom.
In this current WAFCON squad, the youngest overseas-based player is 27-year-old midfielder Bongeka Gamede (Nordsjælland).
If South Africa's women's football infrastructure does not improve rapidly in years to come, the next generation of players will need to step up and secure overseas moves to follow in the footsteps of the likes of Thembi Kgatlana and Linda Motlhalo, who have been stalwarts in an era of unprecedented Banyana Banyana success.
The WAFCON provides a major opportunity for local stars such as the University of the Western Cape's Zoe October (18) and Mamelodi Sundowns' 22-year-old trio Ronnel Donnelly, Nthabiseng Majiya and Asanda Hadebe.
If they are able to demonstrate their dependability in a high-pressure environment such as this, then they are more likely to be viewed as valuable to potential suitors around the world.
In an ideal world, South African women's football would be fertile ground for players like these to become world-beaters on home soil, but for the time being, tournaments such as the WAFCON provide them with as good a chance to spread their wings as they could possibly get.
South Africa WAFCON 2026 squad
Goalkeepers: Kaylin Swart (JVW FC, 31), Andile Dlamini (Mamelodi Sundowns FC, 33), Kebotseng Moletsane (University of Fort Hare FC, 31)
Defenders: Lebo Ramalepe (Mamelodi Sundowns FC, 34), Lonathemba Mhlongo (The University of the Western Cape FC, 23), Karabo Dhlamini (Mamelodi Sundowns FC, 24), Asanda Hadebe (Mamelodi Sundowns FC, 22), Bambanani Mbane (Mamelodi Sundowns FC, 36), Antonia Maponya (The University of the Western Cape FC, 26), Khutso Pila (Mamelodi Sundowns FC, 26), Fikile Magama (The University of the Western Cape FC, 24)
Midfielders: Bongeka Gamede (FC Nordsjælland *Denmark*, 27), Noxolo Cesane (Mamelodi Sundowns FC, 25), Gabriela Moodaly-Salgado (JVW FC, 28), Linda Motlhalo (Glasgow City *Scotland*, 28), Nonhlanhla Mthandi (Mamelodi Sundowns FC, 30), Refiloe Jane (TS Galaxy Queens FC, 33), Sibulele Holweni (The University of the Western Cape FC, 25), Isabella Ludwig (Mamelodi Sundowns FC, 23), Amogelang Motau (Club Tijuana *Mexico*, 29), Robyn Moodaly-Salgado (JVW FC, 32)
Forwards: Hildah Magaia (Unattached, 31), Thembi Kgatlana (Tigres UANL *Mexico*, 30), Ronnel Donnelly (Mamelodi Sundowns FC, 22), Nthabiseng Majiya (Mamelodi Sundowns FC, 22), Zoe October (The University of the Western Cape FC, 18)