The South African women’s senior national team coach Desiree Ellis says it will be important for Banyana Banyana to make an impression at the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand to boost their 2027 World Cup bid.
Banyana Banyana will assemble for the camp on Monday after Ellis announced a preliminary 36 women preliminary team last week. South Africa is bidding to host the next FIFA World Tournament, which will be the first time it will be hosted on the African continent.
Banyana Banyana will go to the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand with the added pressure of being the African champions and with the country also bidding to host the next global showpiece. They are in a tough group comprising Sweden, Italy, and Argentina. Banyana coach Desiree Ellis says they will be looking to make an impression at the World Cup.
“With world cup 2027 possibly coming to south africa we have to do well at this world cup, we also have to make sure the players that are there are gaining enough experience to be able to carry the team forward, we have to get positive results in the first game. urge players to get good results in the first game.
Banyana Banyana will assemble on Monday after the 36-women preliminary team was announced last week. The team will be whittled down to the 23-player squad on a date still to be announced. Ellis says there are some things they still need to fine-tune before the tournament.
“We will see when we come to camp what we still need to work on, in the past camps that we have been in, and in some games, it was very evident, and we need to be absolutely for our first game against Sweden, we possibly have a sendoff game before we leave, we have another game in New Zealand against Costa Rica”
Long-time captain Janine van Wyk was omitted from the preliminary team, but Ellis says the door has not been shut on her.
“We never close the door to anyone we know there, it is still a fantastic record that she can achieve with being the highest capped African so that if it’s due it’s due for what she has done to the game. Ellis recently released the book called “Magic: Desiree Ellis from Salt River to the World Cup”. She says the book is about inspiring young people.
“I think each and every one of us has a story to tell and what we do we inspire others and my book should have been out for a long time. Many people have asked if it’s a story of hope, a story of resilience, a story of never giving up. Banyana will kick off their World Cup campaign against Sweden on the 23rd of July.
Source: SABC
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