Desiree Ellis Explains Why Banyana Banyana Lost to Nigeria, Reacts to Horror Injury
- Desiree Ellis has reacted to Banyana Banyana's defeat against Nigeria in the semi-finals of the 2024 Women's Africa Cup of Nations
- South Africa ended the game on a bad note as Gabriela Salgado was stretchered off after suffering a bad injury in the latter stages
- The Banyana Banyana head coach opened up why her team failed to progress to the next stage of the competition
Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis has explained why her team lost to the Super Falcons of Nigeria in the semi-final of the Women's Africa Cup of Nations on Tuesday evening.
South Africa is working on defending the title in Morocco again, with Linda Motlhalo’s goal in the second half cancelling Rasheedat Ajibade's opener, both from the penalty spot, but a late goal from Michelle Alozie gave the Super Falcons the deserved win at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium.
Banyana Banyana ended the match in a bad state as Gabriela Salgado suffered a horrific injury in the 87th minute, which left most of the players in tears.
Source: Getty Images
Ellis speaks on Banyana's loss to Nigeria
During the post-match press conference, Ellis explained how the gruesome injury affected Banyana Banyana players, which led them to concede a late goal in the match.
PAY ATTENTION: stay informed and follow us on Google News!
“Judging by the players’ reactions, it was definitely serious,” Ellis said during the post-match press conference. “I haven’t seen the medical report yet, but from what I saw, it looked really bad. We had to calm the players down and try to help them refocus, which was extremely hard after what happened.”
Ellis also made reference to their quarter-final clash against Senegal, which extended to 120 minutes of play, and they eventually won on penalties. She insisted that they were not physically up for today's match because they had one day short of rest.
Source: Getty Images
“What really affected us was the injury, you could see how emotional the players were,” she added. "I knew it was serious when I saw the players turning away after witnessing it. I think it shook them in those final minutes, and they never fully recovered.”
She concluded by speaking more on Salgado's injury and how it prevented her team from progressing to the final to either face Morocco or Ghana.
“Unfortunately, injuries are part of the game, and it’s incredibly unlucky for Salgado, she also missed the last edition of this competition due to an injury picked up just before the tournament,” she concluded.
“It’s really unfortunate for her, and I believe it affected us. We matched Nigeria pound-for-pound, even though we didn’t play 120 minutes like in the previous match. Gabriela’s injury definitely had an impact on us.”
Ellis had earlier faced criticism during the tournament for rotating goalkeepers, before explaining the reason behind her decision.
Why Banyana Banyana might not retain the title
Briefly News earlier reported on the reason Banyana Banyana might not retain the WAFCON title this year in Morocco.
A sports journalist pointed out some vital reasons that would hinder the South African women's team's chances.
Proofreading by Kelly Lippke, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.
Source: Briefly News
