Ellis: Why We Lost 5-0 To Denmark
Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis acknowledged that the 5-0 loss to Denmark was a tough pill to swallow, but she emphasized that the team is in a rebuilding phase.
Several key players, including Refiloe Jane, Thembi Kgatlana, Hildah Magaia, Sinoxolo Cesane, and Linda Motlhalo, were unavailable for the match due to injury or visa issues. Despite the absence of these stars, Banyana Banyana managed to hold their own in the first half.
However, Denmark’s physical advantage and superior set-piece execution proved decisive in the second half. Ellis admitted that the long layoff since June had an impact on the team’s performance.
“I think Denmark’s quality came through eventually, and we kept going,” lamented Ellis.
However, Kgatlana, Cesane, Motlhalo, and Magaia will be available against England at the Coventry Building Society Arena on Tuesday, a match that has been dubbed as champions of Europe against champions of Africa.
“These are all building blocks for us for WAFCON,” she added.
“But it showed we have played a long time ago and it was a good test we said before this game that we wanted to come here and test players.
“We needed to test them; we needed to take with this journey and I think a lot of them raised their hands each makes it difficult for us playing against a top team like Denmark.
“We are coming here to play number 12 and number two (in the FIFA Women’s rankings) and this was surely a test for us especially for the group of players. It was a good test for us because our local league has shown that it has improved but it still needs to improve to help us as well.
“Having not played for five months showed towards the end because you have to stay concentrated for the full 90 minutes and unfortunately we couldn’t.”
Both countries – South Africa and England are building sides to defend their crowns next year. England is building a new side to defend its Women’s European Championship, while Banyana Banyana is in the building phase to defend its Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
While Banyana Banyana’s preparations have been disrupted, the return of key players could provide a significant boost for the African champions against European champions.
