Super-Sub Donnelly Strikes Again as Banyana Banyana Sweep Madagascar 7-0 on Aggregate

Ronnel Donnelly continued her impressive scoring form as Banyana Banyana defeated Madagascar 3-0 in the second leg of their 2028 Olympic qualifying campaign, completing a dominant 7-0 aggregate victory to advance to the third round.

Banyana Banyana continued their pursuit of a place at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games with a convincing performance against Madagascar in Bloemfontein on Tuesday, October 13.

South Africa entered the second leg with a comfortable 4-0 advantage from the first encounter and completed the job with another victory, thanks to goals from Gabriela Salgado-Moodaly and substitute Ronnel Donnelly, who scored twice after coming off the bench. <Cite refs={[“turn754019search4″,”turn754019search3”]}/>

Salgado-Moodaly Breaks the Deadlock

Despite dominating much of the first half, Banyana struggled to convert their opportunities into goals. Madagascar goalkeeper Veresantatra Diana produced several important saves to keep her team in contention, while Amogelang Motau came close to scoring when her effort struck the crossbar.

The breakthrough finally arrived shortly after the restart. Gabriela Salgado-Moodaly finished off an opportunity created by Hildah Magaia, giving South Africa the lead on the night and extending their overall advantage to five goals.

The opening goal eased the pressure on the hosts and allowed them to approach the remainder of the match with greater confidence.

Donnelly Makes an Immediate Impact

Donnelly once again demonstrated why she has become an important attacking option for head coach Desiree Ellis.

Introduced as a second-half substitute, the forward wasted little time making her presence felt. She scored her first goal of the evening in the 65th minute, connecting with a delivery from Thembi Kgatlana to increase South Africa’s lead.

Donnelly then struck again in the 76th minute, finishing from another Magaia assist to complete her brace and put the result beyond doubt.

Her two goals took her tally to five across the two matches against Madagascar, following her hat-trick in the first leg. The performances underlined her growing importance to the national team as South Africa continue their Olympic qualification campaign. <Cite refs={[“turn754019search5″,”turn754019search6”]}/>

Ellis Benefits From Squad Rotation

Desiree Ellis made several changes to her starting line-up for the second encounter, giving other players an opportunity to contribute while protecting the advantage established in the opening match.

Although Banyana were unable to find the net during the first half, their persistence eventually paid off after the interval. The team’s ability to maintain control despite the changes offered encouraging signs of squad depth.

Madagascar showed resilience during parts of the contest, but South Africa’s quality and attacking options ultimately proved decisive.

Banyana Turn Attention to the Next Round

The aggregate victory sends Banyana Banyana into the third round of the CAF qualifiers for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

South Africa will face regional rivals Angola in the next qualifying phase, scheduled for February and March 2027, as they continue their attempt to return to the Olympic women’s football tournament. <Cite refs={[“turn754019search1″,”turn754019search0”]}/>

For Ellis and her players, the victory provides valuable momentum ahead of a demanding schedule of international fixtures. Donnelly’s scoring form, in particular, will be a major positive as the team prepares for tougher challenges.

With seven goals scored and none conceded across the two legs, Banyana Banyana have made a strong start to their Olympic qualification journey. Their next task will be to maintain that consistency as the competition becomes increasingly challenging.