Desiree Ellis impressed with Banyana’s strong start to Olympic Qualifiers

This after securing a dominant 4-0 victory over Madagascar in the first leg of their second-round CAF Women’s Olympic qualifying tie on Friday in Bloemfontein.

Speaking to SABC Sport, Ellis says she is pleased that experimenting with new combinations and a change in formation also yielded positive results. 

“Look, good results. I thought there were some really good moments, especially in the second half. You know, with changing the formation at the beginning of the game, a lot more combinations play, a lot more opening up because they sat deep. Overall, good goals scored, so yes, I am very happy,” said Ellis.

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Striker Ronnel Donnelly was the star of the show, scoring a hat-trick to help South Africa secure a commanding advantage ahead of the return leg.

Ellis believes Donnelly could have added to her tally with greater composure but says the performance will provide a significant confidence boost for the striker ahead of upcoming national team fixtures.

“She has been out for a while and came back just before the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. I think it is a big confidence booster for her. It helps with confidence to score goals as a striker. She could have scored even more if she was a lot more composed, but we were happy for her and we took the hat-trick,” added Ellis.

With the second leg scheduled for Tuesday, Ellis says the focus will extend beyond scoring goals, with the team looking to improve its combination play, create opportunities and get players into the right areas.

“Look, it is not about scoring - it is about playing well and the goals will come. It is about getting into the right areas, it is about solid combination play. It is about getting the right players in the box, creating and finishing chances. So, when you’re doing all the right things, it is obviously an opportunity to reach your goals,” she expressed.