Following a hard-fought goalless draw against Nigeria, Banyana Banyana head coach Desiree Ellis praised the Nigerian team for their resilient performance, which secured them a place at the Summer Olympics.
Despite her team’s disappointment, Ellis commended her players for their effort and acknowledged Nigeria’s achievement in booking the Paris Olympics ticket.
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Ellis reflected on her team’s performance, acknowledging their efforts to push forward and create scoring opportunities. Despite their best efforts, they were unable to find the back of the net against a resilient Nigerian defense.
“We wanted to go forward a lot more and sometimes especially in the first half we played backwards and had possession but no progression and we tried to say let’s move let’s go forward and in the second half I think we gave everything we had but the goals just wouldn’t go in one or two chances either side of the keeper didn’t go in but I’m very proud of the team.”
Despite the disappointment of missing out on Olympic qualification, Ellis expressed pride in her team’s performance and thanked the fans for their unwavering support throughout the campaign.
“I think we gave everything we had and unfortunately it wasn’t the result we wanted, very disappointed for the fans that came out in their numbers to support us but I think the crowd in South Africa can be very proud of this team.”
“We might not be going to the Olympics which is a huge disappointment but we gave everything we had.”
Ellis acknowledged the competitive nature of the match and the quality of both teams, highlighting the disappointment of falling short of Olympic qualification despite being among the top teams in Africa.
“It shows why we are the top two teams in Africa but disappointed that we are not going to the Olympics.”
As Banyana Banyana regroup and assess their next steps, Ellis remains hopeful for future opportunities, including the possibility of participating in the WAFCON tournament later in the year.
Despite the setback, the coach remains focused on the team’s continued development and success in future competitions.
