Banyana following trusted blueprint to WAFCON glory – Ellis

Banyana Banyana head coach Desiree Ellis believes the defending champions are once again walking a familiar path towards potential Women's Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) success — one built on calculated changes, squad trust, and tournament experience.

Speaking after her side’s emphatic 4-0 dismantling of Mali, Ellis explained how the current campaign mirrors their title-winning 2022 run — particularly in the way the squad has been managed.

“After the first win against Ghana, we did the same thing we did in 2022 after beating Nigeria — we made changes for the next game,” she said. 

“We didn’t play well but got the results, and that’s what we’re doing in this tournament as well. It’s about keeping the players fresh.”

Ellis made several halftime changes against Mali in Monday’s final Group C clash, a match Banyana only needed to draw to top the table but approached with ruthless intent.

“At half-time we made a lot of changes today as well because of the freshness and making sure that we trust the other players we brought along,” Ellis said.

“Tonight (on Monday night) almost everything went right and that was pure joy. I don’t need to be justified or feel vindicated by why I do it — because we are trusting the process.”

Goals from co-captains Lebohang Ramalepe and Refiloe Jane before the break, followed by second-half finishes from Hilda Magaia and Ronnel Donnelly, wrapped up a comprehensive performance in Oujda. 

Donnelly’s strike, her first in Banyana colours, capped a statement-night for Ellis’ rotation strategy.

The result ensured South Africa topped their group for a third consecutive Wafcon under Ellis, following similar success in 2018 and their victorious 2022 campaign. 

It also stretched Banyana’s unbeaten record at the tournament to 14 matches and marked their third clean-sheet win over Mali, now with 10 unanswered goals across those fixtures.

But Ellis remains grounded, warning that the knockout phase will test their progress.

“This Wafcon is not just a one-sided tournament where you can predict an outcome. The games are so tight — one moment of magic, madness, or even a mistake can change it all,” she said.

“Tonight was a statement and showed what we can do, but we’ve got to do even better. We know we’re better than what we showed in the first two games, and tonight we proved that. But there’s still work to be done.”

Banyana’s quarterfinal test comes in the form of Senegal, who they’ll face at the same Honneur Stadium on Saturday night. 

South Africa have now scored in nine consecutive Wafcon matches — a signal of the team’s sustained attacking evolution.

Elsewhere, Mali face hosts Morocco in Rabat, Nigeria take on Zambia in Casablanca, and Ghana meet Algeria in Berkane.

For Ellis, it’s clear — rotating the squad isn’t about risk, it’s about belief. And with the big games now on the horizon, Banyana’s faith in their process could yet be their most valuable asset.