WAFCON: Banyana Banyana begin title defence against Ghana

It's a fitting opening act for what promises to be a thrilling group, which also includes Tanzania and Mali, who face off later in the evening in Berkane.

Desiree Ellis' charges enter this tournament with the pressure of expectation. After lifting their maiden WAFCON title in 2022, South Africa's women are no longer chasing the crown - they are defending it. And with a history of reaching the semi-finals in the last eight editions and back-to-back final appearances, anything less than a top-four finish would be seen as underwhelming.

However, their preparations were hit by the withdrawal of star forward Thembi Kgatlana, who pulled out due to personal reasons. In her absence, captain Refiloe Jane - back from a long-term injury - will shoulder much of the leadership burden alongside key players like Linda Motlhalo, Jermaine Seoposenwe, and Hildah Magaia, the 2022 final's hero.

New faces such as Ronnel Donnelly, Adrielle Mibe, and Regina Mogolola are also in the mix, bringing fresh energy and ambition into a well-drilled squad.

For Ghana, this is a return to the continental stage after missing out in 2022 - a significant setback for a team with three runners-up finishes to its name. Under new coach Kim Lars Bjorkegren, the Black Queens are seeking redemption and a return to Africa's elite.

This will be the Swede's first WAFCON appearance since taking charge earlier this year. His squad features just five home-based players and raised eyebrows with the omission of Turkish-based forward Abigail Kofi Kim.

Ellis and co-captain Refiloe Jane say Banyana are well-prepared for the competition.

"We've done a lot of analysis, and I'm sure they've also done analysis on us too, if you're not ready now then we have a problem. We came to Morocco early to prepare, and we are now ready for the game, it's just about using the plans tomorrow, it's about making sure that if the one plan doesn't work, we have another plan and another plan and another plan. We just need to put our game plan in place and make sure that we get the result we want," said Dr Ellis.

Jane said: "Obviously this is the opening game of the tournament for us, it's going to be a very difficult one. They are a completely different team, but we are prepared for them and we're hoping that we can perform better as a team," said Jane.