There were some lovely scenes at OR Tambo airport this week as Banyana Banyana returned from their first ever FIFA Women's World Cup.
Check out the heartwarming scenes in the gallery above
Desiree Ellis and her troops may not have progressed from the group stages in France this year, however Thembi Kgatlana did get their first goal at a WWC and they showed on numerous occasions that they were able to mix it up against teams that were ranked substantially higher than themselves.
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Two penalties saw them defeated by Spain, a narrow 1-0 defeat to China followed, before the world's second-best side beat them 4-0 in their final game prior to their return to South Africa this week.
Despite their tough time in Europe, fans cheered for Banyana as they arrived back in Johannesburg following their World Cup exploits, and - no matter what happened in France - they will always go down as the first group of players to represent Mzansi at the highest level of the women's game.
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Next up for Banyana is two games against Botswana as they look to take a step closer to reaching the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo next year.
