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Building a squad capable of handling the demands of international football requires more than having a strong starting eleven, and Banyana Banyana head coach Desiree Ellis is using every opportunity to ensure her team has the depth to compete when it matters most.  Amogelang Motau on educatin and football South Africa's 3-0 victory over Madagascar at Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein on Tuesday completed a 7-0 aggregate win in their Olympic qualifying tie. Beyond securing their place in the next round, the two matches gave Ellis an opportunity to assess her players, experiment with different combinations and see how her less-regular players responded. Ellis made six changes to her starting line-up for the second leg as part of her broader plan to strengthen the squad ahead of important international assignments. The coach believes giving players opportunities now will prove valuable when injuries, unavailability or tactical changes force her to look beyond her established core of play...

South Africa’s senior women’s national team, Banyana Banyana, were crowned champions of the Three Nations Series, held from 28 May to 03 June 2025 at Lucas Moripe Stadium, after impressive victories over Botswana (3-2) and Zambia (2-0). Banyana Banyana © Backpagepix The series, which featured South Africa, Botswana, and Zambia, offered a crucial opportunity for head coach Desiree Ellis and her technical team to evaluate the squad ahead of the upcoming Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) qualifiers. Banyana finished the tournament unbeaten, scoring five goals and conceding just two. In their final game against Zambia, South Africa delivered a composed and disciplined performance, securing a 2-0 victory against the Copper Queens. Despite several squad members being unavailable due to illness, the team stepped up — led by stand-in captain and Player of the Match, Lebohang Ramalepe. Banyana Banyana WAFCON Fixtures “To be honest it was a tough encounter after most of our players caught t...

 As Banyana Banyana prepares to face Zambia and Botswana in the upcoming Three Nations Series, a crucial part of their preparations for the Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco this July, we caught up with University of Johannesburg (UJ) Women’s Football Head Coach, Nthabeleng Modiko. With one of her players called up to the national squad, Coach Modiko shares her thoughts on what she hopes to see from Banyana during this window, the lessons young players can take away, and the broader role WAFCON plays in preparing national teams for the international stage. Banyana Banyana  © Gallo Images Speaking ahead of the series, Modiko emphasized the importance of using these games to sharpen key aspects of Banyana Banyana’s play. From a local coaching perspective, she believes the national team is heading in the right direction but says there is still room for growth—particularly in giving young players international experience. “I think the process or the progress that B...

Banyana Banyana Head DR Desiree Ellis has announced a youthful preliminary squad for the upcoming international friendly matches against Lesotho, scheduled for February 22 and 25. The squad is composed primarily of young players, including several who have represented South Africa at the U-17 level, others currently playing in university structures, and a number of first-time senior national team call-ups. DR. Desiree Ellis  © Gallo Images Speaking at a press briefing in Johannesburg,  DR Ellis highlighted the strategic decision to give young players a chance, emphasizing the need to build depth and expose emerging talent to the international stage. “It’s an opportunity for these players that played at COSAFA to be given an opportunity and players that we’ve seen in the league, that we have watched for a couple of years and the U-17 players that have done really, really well,” she said. Some of the selected players have only featured at the COSAFA level and have not yet made t...