Africa: History-Making Ellis Over the Moon After World Cup Qualification

15 July 2022
Confederation of African Football (Giza)

Dreams do come true. South Africa is going back to the FIFA Women's World Cup and at the heart of that feat is head coach Desiree Ellis.

The South African tactician, who is known for being thorough in planning and preparing a team for the big stage, has for the second time in a row qualified Banyana Banyana to the world showpiece - yet another career milestone.

Her side's 1-0 victory over a stubborn Tunisian side on Thursday at the ongoing TotalEnergies Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco showed a coach whose outfit can secure a result even when they are not necessarily playing to their maximum potential.

"I thought we started very well but then we stopped. We kept creating chances and as the game went on, the players felt pressure and we tried to calm them down. We made some team mistakes. We had so many chances that we could have just knocked in and we didn't do that. They were so clear cut but at the end of the day, we showed a lot of character. But hey, we are going to the World Cup!," she said with an ear-to-ear smile after the game.

Ellis further explained that, "Now that we have qualified, the players will have no pressure because you know when you lose here, you have to go to the other route and you do not want to go to that route. Ultimately, we are now going to the World Cup. That pressure is now off their shoulders and now they can prepare for the next game."

It is now four out of four in the competition for the 2018 finalists who have progressed to the semifinals of the continental tournament and are in contention for their first ever WAFCON title.

"The squad we selected was versatile. Each one fights for one another. The technical staff is fantastic. Credit must go to all of them. This victory is for everyone back home."

"The situation back home is not good. There is a lot of loadshedding and some of them might not have seen the game so this victory is for 53 million people out there. We received so many messages wishing us well on social media and on WhatsApp and phone calls etc so this one is for everyone out there - the coaches and players that have come before," said an emotional Ellis.

South Africa will face Zambia in the second semifinal on Monday, July 18.

Read the original article on CAF.

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