Desiree Ellis backs Banyana Banyana veterans after Wafcon disappointment

South Africa coach Desiree Ellis has defended the senior members of her Banyana Banyana squad after calls for a rebuild with younger players following their disappointing Women’s Africa Cup of Nations campaign.

Banyana Banyana were knocked out in the quarter-finals by hosts Morocco in Rabat a fortnight ago, ending their hopes of retaining the title they won in Morocco in 2022.

The result has intensified debate over whether South Africa should have refreshed the squad after that triumph. Sixteen players from the current group were also part of the team that became African champions three years ago, leading some observers to blame the latest setback on an ageing squad.

Ellis, however, believes the experienced players continue to make an important contribution and says their value should not be judged solely by their age.

“People always look at people’s ages and think that’s it. I think Noko [Matlou, who played a big role in Banyana’s Wafcon triumph in 2022] played until the age of 39,” Ellis insisted.

“If I were to listen to people saying ‘she’s old, she must go’ where would we be now? If you look at the experienced players in the team, they still do the job. Look, there’s something that you cannot buy and that’s experience.”

Ellis also rejected the suggestion that Banyana Banyana lack emerging talent. She said the coaching staff preferred to introduce younger players gradually rather than expose them immediately to the pressure of international football.

“We are of the opinion that we always blood new young players slowly rather than just throw them in. You throw them in, they have a bad game, the media turns it around and says we should have protected them, so we’ve got to strike that balance,” said Ellis.

The coach pointed to several younger members of the squad as evidence that a transition is already under way.

“Isabella [Ludwig] is 23, Ronnel [Donnelly] is 21, Lonathemba [Mhlongo] is 24, so we do have young players in our squad that we are blooding in slowly.

“Football is a matter of opinions. One day the team wins and everybody is doing a great job, and the next minute the team loses and there’s too many old players in the team.”

South Africa’s quarter-final defeat by Morocco meant they missed out on automatic qualification for the World Cup.

Their hopes of reaching the tournament remain alive, though, after Banyana Banyana defeated Nigeria 2-1 to claim a place in the intercontinental play-offs.

The draw for those play-offs is scheduled to take place in Zurich on Thursday.