On Monday evening, Ronnel Donnelly announced herself to the continent in the best way possible, by scoring her first-ever goal for Banyana Banyana on the biggest stage in African women’s football: the TotalEnergies Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).
Coming off the bench in the second half of South Africa’s commanding 4–0 win over Mali, Donnelly sealed the victory with a clinical finish, calmly steering a low cross into the bottom corner to round off a dominant performance by the defending champions.
Remarkably, just three years ago, Donnelly was starring at the KZN leg of the Engen Knockout Challenge, where she turned heads while representing Shooting Stars, a club owned and coached by her father, Lewis Donnelly.
That year, she finished as the Top Goal Scorer, a glimpse of the sharp-shooting instincts that would later take her to national honours.
Now on the books of UWC, the Wentworth-born forward has continued her rise through the ranks, having also featured in the Engen Knockout Challenge with her current side.
Tall, fast and intelligent in the box, Donnelly is known for her aerial ability, positional awareness and eye for goal, qualities that were all on display in Casablanca as she netted her first senior international strike.
Her journey is yet another shining example of the Engen Knockout Challenge’s impact on South African football, particularly in providing a platform for young female players to break through.
