Banyana Banyana head coach Desiree Ellis says she is impressed by the attitude her charges have showed since the start of camp three days ago (5 April 2020) that only attended by local-based players.
The South Africans are have an away date with 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup finalists, the Netherlands, in an international friendly on Tuesday, 12 April 2022.
The fixture is the start of preparations for the upcoming Africa Women Cup of Nations tournament in Morocco in July.
Banyana Banyana depart tonight after wrapping their training camp.
This will be their first match since they face Algeria six weeks ago.
“I am impressed with the attitude and effort put in by the players. Now we just need to make sure we get this group together in the next couple of days, including the overseas players who will join us tomorrow, and get ready for Tuesday. You saw the fitness levels have gone up remarkably, considering that the clubs have also been playing friendlies in preparation for the restart of the domestic league, which will commence when we return from the Netherlands,” said Ellis on SAFA.net
The former Banyana Banyana captain adds that this is an opportunity for the players to be further tested at a higher level – the Netherlands women are ranked 5th in the world.
“We are excited. It’s another opportunity for the players to test themselves, for us to test ourselves and try and improve on previous performances, and not just improve but to be able to see if the players have the mental capacity to push through,” added Ellis.
The two-time Africa Women Coach of the Year also hinted at a possible challenge they could face on and off the field – the weather.
“The weather is completely different, it’s extremely cold, and I think it will suit our international-based players better because they are all coming out of winter and we are only going into winter here in South Africa. We have to manage that over the next three days when we arrive before the game, but we are hoping it won’t become a factor,” she concluded.
By Matlhomola Morake
