Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis says her side are well-prepared and confident ahead of their clash against Lesotho in the 2018 second round of the Caf Africa Women’s Cup of Nations qualifiers first leg.
Banyana are in Lesotho preparing to face the hosts and Ellis has revealed the benefits of their preparation, highlighting the focus placed on sharpening the goal-scoring exploits her side.
Ellis from the onset of the current camp has emphasised the focus on improving in front of goal, ‘We have been in situations where we could have buried our opponents; say scored three or four goals by the time our opponents recover. We can’t afford to squander chances like that often. We don’t want to go through this again and we have been working hard on this area,’ said Ellis.
‘In Cyprus, it was the same story; we could have been in a better position had we utilised all our chances. Our last few training sessions here in Lesotho had been on goal-scoring matters which have also helped our goalkeepers because they also have been prepared to make good saves. I am really impressed by the whole exercise,’ she added.
Ellis also revealed that she believes the side is well prepared and confident heading into Wednesday’s match.
‘We are ready, we beat them 3-0 the last time in Cosafa Castle Cup and we are confident of repeating the same this time around. We should do most of the business in the first leg so that we are comfortable in the second leg at home.
‘We are all aware that no game is as easy as it seems and we have to be on top of our game to get a positive result in the first leg. We need to start on a good footing so we can finish the business at home,’ added the Banyana coach.
Ellis and her 24-woman squad arrived in Maseru on Sunday after a two-day camp in Bloemfontein which she believes has given the team the best possible preparation.
‘We left early so that we acclimatize to the conditions in here; our sessions have been intense but relaxed. The mood among the team is great and I like the camaraderie among the players. We are ready for Wednesday’s game,’ added the Banyana Banyana mentor.
‘This is the start of the Road to the World Cup in France,’ concluded Ellis.
South Africa and Lesotho will do battle in the first leg on Wednesday at the Setsoto Stadium, with kick-off at 3pm.
The second leg will be played at Dr Petrus Molemela Stadium in Bloemfontein on Sunday and the overall winner will qualify for the Women Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana in November this year.
