Coach Desiree Ellis of Banyana Banyana has expressed her joy at having Bambanani Mbane and Refiloe Jane back in the line-up, stating that it will be a huge boost.
On Thursday, Ellis announced her preliminary squad ahead of their must-win Olympics final qualifier match against Nigeria in April.
Mbane and Jane were both out with injuries they picked up during the 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, where they finished in the round of 16.
Ellis, who was celebrating her 61st birthday on Thursday, said she could not have asked for a better birthday present than having some of her key players back on the team.
Best birthday present in a long time
“I think this [the return of key players] has probably been the best birthday present I’ve had in a long time,” Ellis told the media at the JP Morgan corporate challenge race at the Wanderers Club in Johannesburg.
“If you go back in November, it was really tough because we had minus 11 players and had to quickly put a team together.
“And that’s why our core group of players is so important … They may not be playing regularly, but they are always there, forming part of the team, and it was their time to step up, and they did.
“In as much as having some big players out and the young ones getting a chance for some game time, we are glad and excited to welcome back Bambanani, Jane, Bongeka [Gamede], and Sibulelwe [Holweni] into the squad.”
Beating the Super Falcons will be a tough task
Ellis added: “But I must say to the core group itself that they have been magnificent because they had to step up. The likes of Lonathemba [Mhlongo], Wendy Shongwe, and even Karabo Dhlamini.”
The final 23-member squad will be announced later in March, with Mbane and Jane expected to make the cut in the two-legged encounter against the Super Falcons.
Having missed out on the previous Olympic Games in 2020, Ellis and her players will have a tough task to topple their biggest rivals in Africa to set foot in the Olympics in France.
