Banyana Banyana’s Olympic dream ended in heartbreak, but Desiree Ellis is already looking ahead as she has outlined a plan to use the setback as a catalyst, aiming to propel SA to even greater heights.
Ellis’ hopes of qualifying for the 2024 Olympics in Paris with Banyana were dashed on Tuesday night at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium.
Nigeria secured a narrow 1-0 aggregate victory over Banyana to qualify for the Olympics. The second leg in Pretoria ended in a goalless draw, but the Super Falcons advanced thanks to their win in the first leg in Abuja last Friday.
The defeat marked Banyana’s second consecutive Olympic qualification failure after they missed out on Tokyo 2020. Their last appearance on the Olympic stage was in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
However, Ellis, who seems to have a clear vision and a determined spirit, isn’t dwelling on the past. Instead, she’s channelling the Olympic heartbreak into a powerful force for the future.
“It is important that we have continuity; even though we are disappointed, we know where we are going,” said Ellis.
ELLIS SEES OLYMPIC LOSS AS STEPPING STONE TO FUTURE SUCCESS
“I remember the heartache of 2020. It propelled us to do better. It propelled us to win WAFCON, to make sure that we never suffer that heartache again, and this will drive us even further to make sure that something like this doesn’t happen again.
“But in football, you get three results: a win, a draw, and a loss, and unfortunately, we are the team that lost the boxing match.”
The Banyana coach plans to prioritise continuity within the squad while integrating new talent. Ellis also aims to leverage the COSAFA Championship as a platform to develop young players and ensure a strong national team for upcoming major tournaments like WAFCON.
“We will continue to work on what we need to be better at, and I think that’s important, we look to always bringing in new players to make sure that the pipeline is there,” she added.
“We have to get regular camps, get regular good opposition, because that is the only way we can test ourselves; that’s the only way the team can grow.”
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