WAFCON 2024: Desiree Ellis Highlights Root Cause of Banyana Banyana's Poor Performance

• Desiree Ellis has come out to explain why Banyana Banyana performed badly at the 2024 Women's Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco
• The South African tactician was unable to lead Banyana Banyana to back-to-back WAFCON title as the Super Falcons of Nigeria reclaim the title
• The South African women's team finished fourth in the competition after losing to the Black Queens of Ghana in the third-place playoff on Friday, July 25, 2025

Banyana Banyana head coach Desiree Ellis has pointed out why the South African Women's National Team performed poorly at the 2024 Women's Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

South Africa went into the tournament as defending champions after being crowned champions in 2022, but they failed to retain the title after losing to the Super Falcons of Nigeria in the semi-final and also missing out on a podium finish due to their defeat against Ghana in the third-place playoff.

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Banyana Banyana ended the competition in fourth place, which is below the expectations the fans set for them before the competition.

Ellis opens up on what to blame for Banyana's struggles

Ellis, who has been under fire concerning her job since Banyana Banyana's exit from the competition, has come out to explain what went wrong in Morocco.

The South African tactician blamed the lack of preparation as the reason her team failed to perform better in this year's competition. She pointed out that the Women's League last season started late, which affected their preparation going into the tournament.

“I’m not making excuses, but the truth is we had much more time to prepare in 2022,” explained Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis.

“This year, our league started late, which affected our preparation for the tournament.”

Ellis said the coaching staff had to adapt their approach due to time constraints and player availability.

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“We focused on rotating players to keep them fresh. On Friday, we had four injured players in the stands and only five outfield substitutes available. Now, we need to go back and evaluate what we can do better, because every tournament offers lessons."

She also reflected on how their performances in the previous editions shaped their approach and emphasised the need to evolve further as a team.

“In 2018, we learned from our style of play and made key adjustments in 2022. Now, it’s time to reassess again. The level of competition has clearly improved, with every nation here stepping up," she added.

“Other countries are progressing because of the investment being made in their women’s teams. We have to keep up, or we’ll fall behind.

“We have the talent, but our youth teams need to start qualifying for international competitions. That kind of experience is invaluable, and it’s something other nations are building on already.”

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How much Banyana Banyana made at WAFCON 2024

Briefly News also reported on the amount Banyana Banyana made at the 2024 WAFCON after finishing fourth in the competition.

South African receive a lower prize money compared to winners, Nigeria, the runners-up, Morocco, and the third-placed team, Ghana.

Source: Briefly News