Ellis ready for high-stakes World Cup playoff draw as the final route to qualification

Banyana are in Pot 2 with Papua New Guinea in the preliminary phase of the playoff tournament, Uzbekistan and China in Pot 1. 

Pot 3 is completed by Ghana and Ecuador, and each team will play a total of three matches, with the two winners going to the final leg of the playoffs, possibly in Brazil come February next year. 

Head coach Desiree Ellis says they have to go all out in these playoffs...

"Not achieving automatic qualification was disappointing, but we showed against Nigeria that we really wanted this opportunity to give us that fighting chance. It's going to be a tough road but if we have big aspirations then we have to put everything into it."

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Banyana Banyana and Ghana can’t be in the same group, since they come from the same confederation (CAF) and a top two finish is a must for Banyana in November if they are to progress to the final phase. 

Ellis looked back at the journey of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) reaching the men’s World Cup recently via play-offs, and also the dreams of the Cameroonians were crushed in 2023...

"We have to make sure that we get through this round to give us a chance in the next round. Once the draw is official we have to make sure that we plan and prepare very well. It's not going to be an easy road but we've seen the DRC men's side do it, and for this team I believe that nothing is impossible."

Banyana Banyana failed to reach the semifinals of the WAFCON, which would have seen them automatically qualify for the Women’s World Cup in Brazil next year, but they managed to defeat arch-rivals Nigeria 2-1 in the playoff match to keep their hopes alive. 

In the final phase of the upcoming playoff tournament, the two teams from the prelim stage will be joining four teams from UEFA and CONMEBOL (South America) and two from CONCACAF. 

As for the Hollywoodbets Super League Amplified, the league resumes this weekend, with matches at the Sol Plaatjie University stadium in Kimberley, and Ellis believes that in November fitness levels won’t be an issue like they were at the beginning of the WAFCON in Morocco.