Ellis Demands Rigor In Olympic Qualifier Second Leg
Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis has warned her side against complacency as they prepare to face Madagascar in the second leg of their 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games qualifiers, insisting that they will give their best despite holding a commanding 4-0 advantage from the first leg.
The two nations meet at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein on Tuesday at 18:00, with South Africa firmly in control of the tie following Friday’s first-leg victory at the same venue. Madagascar hosted the match there due to a lack of a suitable alternative venue.
Striker Ronnel Donnelly stole the show with a hat-trick, while Hildah Magaia scored the fourth goal to put South Africa in a strong position heading into the return fixture.
Ellis, however, insists that her team must maintain its focus and build on the performance that secured their first-leg advantage.
“The plan is to first secure the game. A 4-0 lead doesn’t mean we can underestimate them. We still have to play really well from the start to make sure that they don’t get a foothold in the game,” Ellis said.
“We said we wanted to take the tie away from them, and I don’t want to sound disrespectful, but we have to play so badly that we don’t get through this round, but we still have to put on a professional performance.”
Having played in front of empty stands in the first leg after Madagascar requested that spectators not be allowed into the Free State Stadium, Ellis is looking forward to the prospect of playing in front of a crowd on Tuesday.
“We know there’s a crowd that’s going to come out; there’s no two ways about it that you come to Bloemfontein and don’t have a crowd,” she said.
“So, we want to make sure that we put up a good performance because a good performance gives you a good result as well, and through that we can play better football.
“I think the last time we were here, we played a qualifier; I think it was against Lesotho, so we’ve come back now.
“We played in other provinces, and I know Bloemfontein loves football. I’ve seen it with the U23s, with Bafana Bafana, and hopefully they can come out in their numbers.
“We just want to put on a good performance and work on a few things. We have a few days to prepare, and it is work in progress. We also have to be at our best when we play better opposition. This is a rehearsal, but it’s still an Olympic qualifier.”
Meanwhile, Ellis has called up Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies midfielder Lelona Daweti to the national team camp following Bonolo Mokoma’s release from the squad due to injury.
