Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis has announced her preliminary 36-member squad for the upcoming 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

The Women’s national team are scheduled to report for camp in Johannesburg on 12 June 2023 for a chance to impress and make the final selection for the global tournament.

Ellis admits she had a headache selection trying to figure out who to include in the preliminary squad.

“It’s most probably one of the most difficult selections I’ve ever had to make,” Ellis told www.safa.net.

“As a coach you always say players must raise their hand and make it difficult. And it has been very difficult (selecting the preliminary squad). Congratulations to the players that have made the preliminary squad.

“We are always saying players must raise their hands, and many of them have raised the hands. But this is the group of players that we think we can select from, and they have raised their hands.

“We are going to do a final selection as well as announce the final 23 plus three. That is even going to be more difficult, but this is the group of players that we think will do the job for us.”

Here is the preliminary 36-member Banyana Banyana squad: