Ellis calls for greater cutting edge as Banyana Banyana face Madagascar

Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis wants South Africa to be more clinical when they meet Madagascar in the second leg of their CAF Women’s Olympic qualifying tie in Bloemfontein this evening.

South Africa take a commanding 4-0 lead into the match after a convincing victory in the opening leg, leaving them firmly in control of their second-round tie in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic qualifiers.

Ellis believes the two matches have served a dual purpose: progressing in the qualifying competition while giving opportunities to players who have not featured regularly and helping to expand the squad’s options.

“I won’t say it is a new group of players, but it’s players who haven’t played together. The center-backs’ first combination as well as getting used to the two players on the side. So, playing Ronell [Donnelly] and Isabella [Ludwig] upfront, we have done it at WAFCON; we played them upfront for different reasons, but we wanted to also look at other players and make sure that we make that group bigger because you never know when you will need these players if your more senior players are injured. I thought that was a good exercise,” said Ellis.

The Banyana Banyana coach was pleased with the first-leg result but felt her team could have added to its tally. She is therefore expecting a sharper display in front of goal in the return fixture, with South Africa aiming to make better use of the chances they create.

The 63-year-old also sees the match as an important opportunity for the team to perform in front of its supporters. The first meeting was played behind closed doors, meaning the Bloemfontein fixture will provide South Africa with the chance to play before spectators.

Ellis wants her players to respond with a strong showing and give the home crowd a performance to enjoy as they seek to complete the tie and move through the second round of the Olympic qualifying process.