Following Banyana Banyana’s heroics against Italy, coach Desiree Ellis has dedicated their world cup success to all South Africans who have been rallying behind the team.
South Africa scored a stoppage time winner in their five-goal thriller, when they sunk the Italians 3-2 during their Group G match decider on Wednesday.
Ellis has since spoken highly of her players’ fighting spirit, saying that not many had given Banyana chance as they headed into the must-win encounter.
“We knew it was going to be a tough game, but we also knew what we were capable of,” Ellis said.
“We trained a couple of days on what we would do if we went behind, because we have never come from behind. These girls are just amazing.
“I speak through every challenge that they faced in the past looking at WAFCON as well. No one gave us a chance, but we knew what we were capable of, and they fought like warriors out there.
“This is for everyone back home, people getting up in the early hours of the morning, and when they were all disappointed when we should have won against Argentina.
“I said I wanted everyone to go to work smiling [as the game played at 09:00am] back home. This is for all the coaches in the league who have played their parts, this is for the coaches who came before me, and everybody involved in women’s football.”
Banyana made history by recording their first ever world cup victory and topped it by qualifying for the round of 16, also the first time in just their second appearance at the world cup finals.
SA is one of three African teams that qualified for the knockout stages alongside Nigeria and Morocco.
Ellis and her charges will be aiming to prolong their stay in the competition and cause an upset against 2019 World Cup runners-up Netherlands on Sunday.
Kick-off time is at 4am (SA time).
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