SAFA chief medical officer Dr Thulani Ngwenya has provided an update on the injury sustained by Gabriela Salgado, while coach Desiree Ellis reacted to the visible distress and emotional impact the incident had on her Banyana Banyana troops.
In a thrilling Women’s Africa Cup of Nations [WAFCON] semi-final on Tuesday evening, Nigeria narrowly beat arch-rivals South Africa 2-1 at the Stade Larbi Zaouli in Casablanca. This victory secured Nigeria’s spot in the final, keeping their hopes of a record-extending 10th continental title alive.
Billed as a “final before the final,” the match saw goals from Rasheedat Ajibade and Michelle Alozie for Nigeria, while Linda Motlhalo scored a penalty for the African defending champions. The Super Falcons’ win avenged their 2022 loss to Banyana Banyana, but the contest was overshadowed by a severe injury to Salgado.
Dr Ngwenya of SAFA confirmed that Salgado suffered a serious injury during the match and was immediately taken to the hospital for further assessment. The full extent of the injury remained unknown, with an update promised once all facts were established.
SAFA DOCTOR CONFIRMS SERIOUS INJURY; ELLIS HIGHLIGHTS BANYANA’S TRAUMA
“Gabby had a serious injury during the game and was rushed to hospital immediately after the incident for further assessment and management. The extent of the injury is unknown at this stage, and we will give an update once all the facts are known,” said Dr Ngwenya.
Nigeria scored their winning goal just after Salgado was stretchered off in optional time. The match had been tied at 1-1, and it seemed headed for extra-time until Salgado’s injury and Nigeria’s decisive strike.
An update on Salgado’s condition is pending a full assessment at the Morocco hospital.
Meanwhile, Banyana head coach Ellis noted that the players’ response indicated the severity of the situation, describing how they had to be calmed down and encouraged to refocus after witnessing the incident.
She added that the injury deeply impacted the team in the final minutes of the game, and they struggled to recover.
“From the players’ reactions, it was definitely bad. But I haven’t seen the medical report yet,” she said. “It looked really bad because we had to calm them [players] down and help them refocus, which was very difficult.
“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. I think that affected them in the last minutes, and they didn’t recover. Unfortunately, it’s part of the game.
“It’s so unlucky for Salgado because she also missed the last WAFCON due to an injury she picked up just before.”
RELATED STORY: Nigeria end Banyana Banyana WAFCON dream