Banyana Banyana head coach Desiree Ellis says though she would like to have the injured players back in the squad for the upcoming clash against Nigeria – she is not afraid to play the young players.
Injuries to the likes of Bambanani Mbane, Refiloe Jane, Sibulele Holweni and Bongeka Gamede have made way for the coach to introduce young players to the senior team and they have raised their hands in the recent WAFCON qualifiers and Olympics qualifiers.
South Africa overcame Tanzania over two legs in the third qualifying round to set the meeting with the team they unseated as African champions in April. The coach admits that she will need a balance of experience and youth but she is not scared should anyone not recover in time because her players are multifunctional and have proven it.
“We know the Nigeria game is not going to be easy but we’ve shown that we can play with the best,” said Ellis.
“Having our best players back will also help a lot because when it comes to those tough matches, you need players with experience as well. And you need to get the mix right with the youth and experience.
“So hopefully we can get that right and get a positive result, first away from home again and bring it home and get the good result. But from watching yesterday no game is easy. You’ve got to be at your absolute best, you’ve got to plan well and you’ve got to execute the plan.
“So I think everybody is up for it. Having missed out on the 2020 Olympics I think this is the biggest goal for us this year bar the WAFCON later in the year.”
