South Africa picked up maximum points as the group stage of the TotalEnergies Women’s Africa Cup of Nations came to an end on Sunday night with a 1-0 win over neighbours Botswana in a COSAFA derby.
The Banyana Banyana made it three wins in three games much to the delight of their coach Desiree Ellis who displayed it at full time with her delightful celebration.
“We wanted to stay ahead. In the first half it was indeed a bit difficult. We missed chances to score and I was forced to make some changes due to injuries then we started to have a little more control of the ball and after the goal, I could see the joy on the faces of my players and I am obviously happy with the result and the performance,” Ellis explained after the game.
The South African tactician then added that, “All the teams at the WAFCON deserve to be here. They have not qualified by chance. They have prepared for this tournament well so you have to know how to adapt and change the strategy according to the match and that is what we tried to do during this game against Botswana.”
“We controlled everything during this match. We knew they were going to play on the counter and we were able to keep control until we found the solution.”
Even though South Africa only found the back of the net late in the game, that did not worry the Ellis who said, “Sometimes you want to put on a good performance and play in a fun way, as you know. We do it as South Africa but sometimes, it does not happen.
“Sometimes, you have to be patient and try several times before you can find the solution and score. This match proved the group’s state of mind, its character and its beauty.”
“If you noticed, I made five changes to make sure that all the players in the team had playing time. We wanted to make sure we had the three points to stay on top of the group but also to have fresh legs for the next round.”
“We will celebrate this victory today but we will prepare well for the next game. We know that there are no second chances in the second round so we have to be ready.”
South Africa will face Tunisia in the quarterfinals on Thursday, July 14 at the Moulay Hassan Stadium in Rabat at 2100hrs local time.
Source: CAF