Banyana Banyana start WAFCON campaign on a positive note

By Mpumi Manyisi
8th July 2025

Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis is happy to have secured positive results to kick off their Women’s Africa Cup of Nations title defence.

This after Banyana collected three points to lead Group C, after their hard fought 2-0 win over Ghana at Honneur Stadium on Monday night.

Speaking at the post match presser, Ellis adds that she is glad that the team managed to create enough chances and still kept a clean-sheet.

"Defensively we were really sound. We always know we are gonna create chances and we always say if we can keep a clean sheet we can win the game. Today, our whole team played defensively really well, it was extremely hot out there and I think the cooling break was welcome,” Ellis said.

“I think we made the changes at the right time and that also really helped to settle down the team but take nothing from Ghana, they are still a quality side because the 15 minutes really could have changed the game if we had to concede there.

“But we stuck in there another round and took a little bit more control and got the result that we wanted."

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Ellis admits that it was a challenging match and had to remind the players to tap into their usual style of play to press Ghana’s youthful side.

"I think they started really well, they had us under pressure the first 15 minutes, we couldn't get out of our build up, we changed things a bit and then got out and started getting on the ball a lot more because that is our strength,” she added.

“I haven't seen the penalty though but I know the foul was in the box but I haven't seen the penalty. You know sometimes it goes for you, sometimes it doesn't go for you and I think the second goal came also at a great time.

“We could have finished off with a third one and they got almost back in. We had a couple of chances but if you look at the game overall I think it was intense because Andile made a couple of saves as well.

“I thought we handled the long ball really well, we knew that it would come from the left hand side and in the midfield I thought Linda controlled that part of the game."