Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis names strong squad for Olympic qualifiers against Madagascar

Banyana Banyana head coach Desiree Ellis has named a strong squad for next month’s Olympic qualifying showdown against Madagascar.

The South African women’s national team will be aiming to take an important step towards securing qualification when they face Madagascar in a two-legged encounter in October.

Ellis has included experienced forward Thembi Kgatlana in the squad, handing Banyana Banyana a major attacking boost ahead of the crucial qualifiers.

Kgatlana, who is currently based in Mexico, comes into the national team camp in impressive scoring form after recently finding the back of the net four times for her club.

Her goalscoring form will provide encouragement for Ellis as South Africa prepare for a tie in which attacking efficiency could prove decisive.

The striker remains one of Banyana Banyana’s key attacking outlets and will be expected to bring her experience and firepower to the national team when the qualifiers get underway.

South Africa will host both matches against Madagascar in Bloemfontein, with the first encounter scheduled for October 9 before the return fixture on October 13.

The back-to-back fixtures will give Ellis and her players an opportunity to establish an advantage early in the tie and secure progression in the Olympic qualifying campaign.

With the squad now announced, attention will turn to preparations at camp as Ellis looks to build a team capable of navigating the two matches successfully.

Kgatlana’s recent scoring form, combined with the experience within the Banyana Banyana squad, will be central to South Africa’s preparations as they target a positive outcome against Madagascar.