SAFA doctor speaks on Salgado injury; Ellis shares Banyana’s trauma

The Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) semi-final between South Africa and Nigeria, which ended in a 2-1 victory for Nigeria, was overshadowed by a serious injury to Banyana Banyana’s Gabriela Salgado.

Both the SAFA chief medical officer, Dr Thulani Ngwenya, and head coach Desiree Ellis have spoken out about the incident, with Ellis detailing the profound distress it caused her squad.

Nigeria’s hard-earned victory over Banyana Banyana in a riveting WAFCON semi-final on Tuesday evening, at Casablanca’s Stade Larbi Zaouli, propelled them into the final. This also sustained their quest for an unprecedented tenth continental title.

The clash, dubbed a “final before the final,” lived up to its billing with goals from Rasheedat Ajibade and Michelle Alozie for Nigeria, countered by a penalty from South Africa’s Linda Motlhalo.

However, the contest’s high drama took a sombre turn when Salgado of Banyana suffered a severe injury. Nigeria then scored their decisive goal in the dying minutes, shortly after Salgado was stretchered off, tilting a match that seemed destined for extra time.

Dr Thulani Ngwenya of SAFA has since confirmed the severity of Salgado’s injury. “Gabby had a serious injury during the game and was rushed to hospital immediately after the incident for further assessment and management,” Dr. Ngwenya stated.

He emphasised that the full extent of the injury remains unknown at this stage, with an update promised once all facts are established from the hospital in Morocco.

Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis provided a poignant account of her players’ reactions to Salgado’s injury, which occurred in optional time just before Nigeria scored their decisive goal. “From the players’ reactions, it was definitely bad,” Ellis recounted. “It looked really bad because we had to calm them down and help them refocus, which was very difficult.”

Ellis further painted a vivid picture of the scene, highlighting the deep emotional toll it took on her team. “What impacted us was the injury, as you could see how emotional the players were. I knew it was serious because I could see them running away after seeing it.” She believes this incident profoundly affected her players in the match’s final minutes, impacting their ability to recover and ultimately leading to Nigeria’s winning strike.

The coach also expressed her sympathy for Salgado, noting the unfortunate timing. “It’s so unlucky for Salgado because she also missed the last WAFCON due to an injury she picked up just before.”

The immediate concern for Salgado’s health and the visible emotional distress among the Banyana Banyana squad underscored the human element of the intense semi-final, even as Nigeria celebrated their hard-fought victory.