Banyana Banyana legend Portia Modise feels Desiree Ellis is not yet ready to step up as the team's full-time coach.

Ellis has been in charge of the side in an acting capacity for the past 18 months since the departure of Vera Pauw, with calls from certain quarters insisting she be given the job on a permanent basis.

Banyana players like Thembi Kgatlana and Leandra Smeda have not hidden their wish to see Ellis permanently replacing Pauw, though the Safa hierarchy seem to be dragging their feet to conclude the process of filling the post.

Modise, who is the national team's all-time top goalscorer with 101 goals, thinks Ellis is not ready to take Banyana forward, saying she still has to accumulate experience.

Among Ellis's achievements as coach was winning the Cosafa Women's Championship in September in Zimbabwe, but Modise feels that was not good enough.

"She's doing well in these smaller competitions [referring to her Cosafa triumph]. I believe they [Safa] must find a coach and she be the assistant," Modise said at the SAB League's coaching course in Pretoria yesterday.

"I played under her [when she was assisting Pauw] and I know her as I also played with her. She still needs to get experience. As much as we want our coaches to get a chance, I feel we need a foreign coach with loads of experience. Pauw was so good. I think they should have kept her longer. I don't have a problem with Ellis... I love her but she must grow as a coach."

Modise is busy with her D Licence coaching course and coaches SAB League side Ezasedleni FC.