Head Coach of the Sasol-sponsored Banyana Banyana, Desiree Ellis, has done it all – or so it appears.
She is the one of the founder members of the first South African women’s national team in 1993, making her debut at age 30.
In 2001, Ellis was nominated alongside Mercy Akide and Florence Omagbemi, both from Nigeria, for the coveted African Woman Footballer of the Year, but lost out to Akide in the inaugural edition of the award.
In the first ever international match, facing eSwatini, she scored a hattrick. Ellis retired in 2002 at 38 years old with 32 caps to her name.
What followed years later was an assistant role to the then Banyana Banyana head coach, Vera Pauw.
The Capetonian took over in an interim role in 2016 and that’s when her whole coaching world opened up.
After being permanently appointed to the head coach position two years later (2018), Ellis led Banyana Banyana to a silver medal in the CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Ghana in the same year – losing on penalties to long-time rivals, Nigeria.
Her profile increased when she made history by becoming the first to qualify South Africa to a FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2019 in France.
She was not done… Fast forward to three years later.
Ellis masterminded Banyana Banyana’s first continental title – defeating North Africans Morocco in their backyard to lift the trophy in the 2022 WAFCON.
At the same tournament, South Africa secured their ticket to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, their second in succession.
As if that was not enough, the African Champions got their first point (vs Argentina) and first win (vs Italy) at the global women’s football showpiece.
With those results, the history books were rewritten as they qualified for the Round of 16 – the first and only South African national team to achieve that feat.
In addition, she has been named the CAF Women’s Coach of the Year for your years in a row – 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023.
Off the field she has been bestowed with the highest honour for a sports personality -the National Order of Ikhamanga by the State President of the Republic of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa.
The only blemish on her slate of her otherwise glittering career is failing to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games when they were knocked out by neighbours Botswana in the qualifiers.
And therein lies the challenge.
Ellis has been to the Olympic Games as a coach but was an assistant to Pauw.
Now she has a chance to change all that.
And this is when Banyana Banyana take on the Super Falcons of Nigeria in two-legged qualifiers of the fourth and final round of the 2024 Paris Olympics Games.
The first match will be played on Friday, 5 April at the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja, Nigeria, while the return fixture will take place on Tuesday, 9 April at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria.
Ellis has always put the team’s success ahead of personal glory, a message he has also instilled in her players.
“I don’t do it alone, I work with an amazing group of players and a fantastic technical team and support staff. Like coach T always says the players make us look good. If the team does well and wins, the individual will stand out,” she has often been heard saying.
Although she will not admit it, qualification to the global event for the 2024 Olympic Games will be a personal achievement, completing the puzzle as she would be the only coach to have qualified South Africa for every major tournament available – the World Cup, the Olympic Games and the WAFCON.
When she took over the national team reigns, Banyana Banyana was ranked fifth on the continent, and they are currently second to Nigeria.
A list of some of Ellis’ achievements with Banyana Banyana since 2016:
- Won four COSAFA Women’s Championships (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020)
- Finished second in 2018 at the CAF Women Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana
- First coach to qualify Banyana Banyana to a FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2019 in France
- Lifted the continental title with a 2-1 win over hosts Morocco in the 2022 CAF Women Africa Cup of Nations
- Secured a ticket to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand – their second in a row
- Made history at the tournament by winning a match and qualifying for the Round of 16 – the only South African National Team to do so.
By Matlhomola Morake
