Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis celebrates their win over Nigeria.
Desiree Ellis wore a bright smile during her post-match press conference deep in the bowels of Prince Moulay Rachid Stadium after Banyana Banyana progressed to the World Cup intercontinental play-offs, something that had seemed to cease to exist.
Her reaction was understandable. Banyana kept their dream of qualifying for the World Cup alive, achieving that feat at the expense of arch-rivals Nigeria, where rivalry exceeds even sport at times.
She also ensured that she restored faith in both her coaching abilities and the team’s prowess after they were heavily criticised for enduring a disappointing Wafcon, being eliminated in the quarter-finals and eventually failing to qualify for the global showpiece directly.
With the team high on morale, some suggested that Banyana must play the first round of the two play-off phases — which are scheduled for November and February — as early as next week to build on the team’s momentum.
