Nigeria, Aug. 14 -- Nigeria's record of appearing at every edition of the Women's World Cup since the tournament began in 1991 has finally been punctured.

On Thursday night in Casablanca, South Africa's Banyana Banyana defeated Nigeria's Super Falcons 2-1 to effectively extinguish the country's slim hopes of qualifying for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup.

The Super Falcons had hoped to recover from their disappointing WAFCON quarter-final exit against Cameroon, but South Africa proved too strong in Thursday's crucial play-off.

South Africa's goalkeeper Kaylin Swart stood stoutly against the Super Falcons, ensuring Banyana Banyana advanced to FIFA's Inter-Confederation Play-Off Tournament alongside Ghana's Black Queens.

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