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Story audio is generated using AI Two giants of African women’s football, Confederation of African (CAF) champions South Africa and Nigeria, will collide on Thursday night in a titanic battle which is sadly being played off the main stage. Banyana Banyana’s and the Super Falcons’ losses in the quarterfinals of Wafcon robbed them of instant tickets to Brazil, where the Fifa Women’s World Cup will take place from June 24 to July 25 next year. Now they have to qualify the hard way, battling it out for one of CAF’s two spots at the international playoffs to be played in two phases between this November and February next year. The countries that have already qualified for the World Cup are those that won their quarterfinal matches. Banyana Banyana and the Super Falcons have already represented their countries at this global football showpiece. Here is why this clash matters so much: Historical rivalry overview - Total matches: Over 23 official senior encounters played across friendly matches, Wafcon and Olympic/World Cup qualifiers - Historical dominance: The Super Falcons lead the overall head-to-head win count with 15 victories - Shifting momentum: Banyana Banyana have chipped away at Nigeria’s historical aura, winning two of their recent prominent tournament match-ups. Key recent encounters - 2022 Wafcon group stage: South Africa secured a vital 2-1 victory over Nigeria on their way to claiming their maiden continental title. - 2024 Olympic qualifiers: Nigeria edged out Banyana Banyana in a tight two-legged playoff to secure qualification for the Paris Games. Sowetan