Banyana Banyana Married Couple Make WAFCON History at 2026 Tournament in Morocco

• Robyn and Gabriela Moodaly-Salgado became the first married couple to feature together in a WAFCON matchday squad
• The couple represented South Africa in Banyana Banyana's opening 2026 WAFCON fixture against Tanzania in Casablanca
• Gabriela's appearance carried extra significance as she marked her return from a serious leg injury that kept her out of football

Robyn and Gabriela Moodaly-Salgado wrote their names into football history at the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations, becoming the first married couple to feature together for the same team in a WAFCON match.

The Banyana Banyana duo reached the milestone during South Africa's opening group stage fixture against Tanzania in Casablanca on 28 July 2026. Despite the historic occasion, the result was bitter. Banyana fell 2-1 to the Twiga Stars in a result that disappointed fans back home

A personal and historic moment

Robyn, who plays for JWV FC alongside her wife, started the match in the number ten role just behind striker Thembi Kgatlana. Gabriela, wearing her familiar No. 9 jersey, entered the game as a substitute in the 70th minute, completing a reunion on Africa's biggest stage that the couple had long worked towards.

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The two married in 2025, and their appearance together at a major international tournament marked a deeply personal chapter in their shared journey in football.

As seen in the post on X below.

Gabriela's emotional return

For Gabriela Salgado, the appearance was about more than history. She had been away from continental football after sustaining a severe leg injury during South Africa's 2024 WAFCON semi-final defeat to Nigeria. The road back was long, and stepping onto the pitch in Casablanca represented the end of a difficult recovery.

The injury had also forced her to miss Banyana Banyana's historic 2022 WAFCON triumph in Morocco, where Robyn was part of the squad that defeated the host nation in the final to claim South Africa's first-ever continental title.

Now both on the same pitch at a WAFCON tournament for the first time, the couple achieved something no married pair had done before at the competition, etching a unique footnote into the history of women's football on the continent.

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Government rallies support for Banyana's WAFCON campaign

Briefly News also reported that the South African government has urged the nation to get behind Banyana Banyana as the team begins its 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations campaign in Morocco.

The Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) encouraged supporters to wear the national colours as part of the Banyana Fridays campaign and back the team throughout the tournament.

Source: Briefly News