Desiree Ellis, coach of the South African women’s national team, is excited for the 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) draws because the competition has not been held in a while.
Banyana Banyana beat the hosts, Morocco, in the final 2-1 to clinch their maiden WAFCON title two years ago.
Ellis’ side has been preparing for the WAFCON tournament, which saw South Africa touring Europe last month losing to Denmark and England.
This month, as part of preparations for the 2025 WAFCON, Banyana Banyana will face the Reggae Girlz of Jamaica in Montego Bay on 29 November 2024 and 2 December 2024.
In a bid to rebuild Banyana Banyana, Ellis has included some players from the 2024 COSAFA Women’s Championship that lost to Zambia in the final.
Twelve Teams To Compete At The 2025 WAFCON In Morocco.
Ellis said the aim of the friendly matches will be to work on the team’s cohesion as they build on to the 2025 WAFCON.
She said, “We are looking forward to the WAFCON draw tomorrow (today); it’s been a while since we played on the continent, and we have already begun our preparations.”
“Going into the matches against Jamaica, we will still be working on ourselves and our preparations for the WAFCON. It is always a great thing to win matches, but we are in a preparation face, and what is important is to get us playing as a unit, conceding fewer goals, staying compact, and converting our chances,” said Ellis.
“These matches are a test of skill and an invaluable opportunity for the team to push boundaries, embrace new challenges, and continue their growth as they prepare for the CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.”
Twelve teams will fight for the WAFCON title, led by Nigeria, the record winners with 11 titles, title holders South Africa, and hosts Morocco.
Zambia, Ghana, Tunisia, Mali, Senegal, Algeria, DR Congo, Tanzania, and Botswana complete the list of qualified teams.
