The South African Women’s U17 National Team scored twelve goals in the first half as they crushed Gabon 12-1 in the first leg of CAF 2025 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup qualifier, Sports247 reports.
The match which was played at Libreville Gabon saw the South Africans scoring freely to send a dangerous signal to the Flamingos of Nigeria as the winner of the South Africa Vs Gabon match over the two legs will face Nigeria in the second round of the World Cup qualifiers.
The encounter was filled with drama as Gabon could only start with 10 players due to the ineligibility of eight of us their players who were over age and four players got injured at the end of the first half which forced the match to be called off after 45 minutes by the match commissioner.
Gabon lost their goalkeeper during the first half of the match due to injury and they were reduced to nine players, with South Africa going into the halftime break leading 12-1.
Khwezi Khoza scored four goals in the match while Katlego Malebane and Nomfundo Nzuza got a hattrick each and Akhona Simamane scored a brace.
Ahead of the second half, three Gabonese players could not return to the pitch due to injuries leaving the host with just six players to play in the second half.
The Match Commissioner was forced to end the game in accordance with Law 3 or the FIFA Laws of the Game which stipulates that for a match to take place or continue. “A match is played by two teams, each with a maximum of eleven players; one must be the goalkeeper.
” A match may not start or continue if either team has fewer than seven players.”
The return leg is due for next weekend in South Africa at the Lucas Moripe Stadium in Pretoria as the gap in the scoreline left the Gabonese a mountain to climb.
The aggregate winner over the two legs will face the Flamingos of Nigeria in the second round of the competition with the first leg slated for the weekend of 7 – 9 March 2025 and the
Second Leg to hold between 14 – 16 March 2025.
A total of four teams will join the host Morocco as Africa representatives at the 2025 FIFA U17 Women World Cup due for October 17 to November 8.
