New Banyana coach Desiree Ellis unfazed by tough mandate

NEW Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis has her work cut out for her if the tough mandate handed to her by South African Football Association (Safa) president Danny Jordaan yesterday is anything to go by.

Ellis was named Banyana coach yesterday and Jordaan said she would be required to qualify for the 2018 Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana in December‚ the 2019 Fifa Women’s World Cup in France and the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

“So there are three targets,” Jordaan said.

Ellis will also be required to ensure that Banyana remains in the top two on the continent, as Fifa is about to launch a prestigious tournament that will feature the world’s 16 best women’s national teams.

“More important, we want Banyana to be in the top two on the African continent because in 2020 Fifa is launching a women’s world league, where the 16 top countries in the world – Brazil‚ Argentina‚ France‚ Korea and others – will play in that world league‚” Jordaan said.

There will be two teams from Africa‚ the two top teams from Africa. As things stand now, those top teams would be Nigeria and Ghana.

‘‘This means we have to beat Nigeria and Ghana to get one of those two slots.

“This means we have to be in the final of the Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana in December.

“To support that‚ we will launch the national league for women’s football in 2019 so that we can create a platform for Desiree to pick the players [to] lead us on this path.”

Ellis said she was not daunted by the task she faced after serving as interim coach since 2016 following Dutchwoman Vera Pauw’s departure.

She had also served as Pauw’s assistant before becoming caretaker coach. “I know that in 2018 we have a huge task‚” Ellis said. “First of all we have to qualify for Afcon. We have been through the pain in 2014 of being so close to the World Cup.”

All three women’s national teams are now coached by former Banyana players – Ellis‚ SA U17 coach Simphiwe Dludlu and SA U20 coach Maud Khumalo – and Jordaan said this was an important step for the domestic game.