Africa-Press – South-Africa. If given an opportunity, I will grab it with both hands,” Desiree Ellis said nearly six years ago about the vacant Banyana Banyana head coach role.
At the time, she was just two months into serving as interim coach after her predecessor, Vera Pauw, resigned.
Eventually, after Ellis had overseen 11 matches – five wins, five defeats and one draw – the South African Football Association (SAFA) gave up their search for Pauw’s replacement and put all their eggs in one basket.
Ellis was given the gig, and it was a decision that Banyana Banyana would never look back on.
On Saturday night (22:00, SA time), at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, Ellis will look on as Banyana seek to land their first ever title at the women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon).
For South Africa, it would be a first piece of major silverware since Bafana Bafana won Afcon all the way back in 1996.
That is the enormity of what is at stake for Banyana, who are unbeaten at the competition, and beat Tunisia and Zambia in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, respectively.
For Ellis, this is the second bite at the Afcon cherry after she guided Banyana to the 2018 final in Ghana, losing on penalties to Nigeria.
It was a bitter pill to swallow, and South Africa’s fifth failed attempt in the final at the prestigious tournament.
That was still enough, however, to see Banyana qualify for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup for the first time in their history.
Now, with 74 matches in charge of the national team under the belt, the three-time CAF Coach of the Year – Ellis was awarded the 2021/22 award on Thursday night – feels her current crop of players has what it takes to get over the line on Saturday against the host nation.
“When I look at the players now, they are so mentally focused, they are so happy and united,” she said on Friday ahead of the biggest match in her career.
“They want this trophy really badly. I thanked all of them personally for getting us this far and qualifying for the World Cup, but I told them to be ready for the final push.
“Tomorrow is their day to shine and bring that trophy back home. The atmosphere is going to be absorbing because of the home crowd, but I have full confidence in my players that they will bring the trophy to South Africa.”
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In truth, whether the medal they have around their necks at full-time is silver or gold, Banyana should be celebrated now more than ever.
They have been in the shadows of the men’s senior team, who have consistently underperformed and failed to deliver any progress in the past decade, for their entire existence.
“We are very happy about the progress of Banyana. There is sustainability, and there is some staying power there,” former team mentor Augustine Makalakalane told Sport24.
“It’s the second time they qualify for the Women’s World Cup in a row, so it has all gone well for women’s football. It will only improve the impetus of women’s football and football in general.”
If results were the only measure, then Banyana would be SAFA’s flagship football team as the rest – mainly Bafana – play catchup.
The average age of the South African squad in Morocco is a healthy 26.6, with a significant contingent of players plying their trade abroad, and at top European clubs.
Captain Refiloe Jane dons the colours of AC Milan in Italy, superstar forward Thembi Kgatlana plays for Atletico Madrid (Spain), Jermaine Seoposenwe is at SC Braga in Portugal, Lebogang Ramalepe is at FC Dinamo Minsk (Belarus), while Hldah Magaia has taken her talents to Asia, playing for Sejong Sportstoto in South Korea.
What has also helped tremendously is the Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies FC team, with notable star players coming out of the Tshwane outfit to represent the country. They have done the hard yards in investment and performance and were duly rewarded by winning the inaugural CAF Women’s Champions League in 2021.
That kind of balance, mixed with the “unbreakable” spirit, as Seoposenwe pointed out in the week, has steered Banyana past Nigeria (2-1), Burundi (3-1), Botswana (1-0), Tunisia (1-0) and Zambia (1-0) to set up the mouth-watering finale which is expected to be played in front of a sold-out crowd.
South African athletes always deliver that glimmer of hope when it is needed most, and considering what is happening in the country presently – load shedding, murders, gender-based violence, the broken economy – Banyana can give this nation something to celebrate on Saturday.
In 1996, Bafana did just that when they won the Africa Cup of Nations – their first and only major trophy. The famous image of then-captain Neil Tovey, side-by-side with Nelson Mandela, raising the trophy in delight lives on forever.
Hopefully, the times has come to make new such memories.
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