Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis has her assistant coaches and a network of scouts keeping a close eye on the Sasol League National Championship currently under way in Polokwane, Limpopo.
The reigning CAF Women’s Coach of the Year is of the view there’s plenty of talent playing in the Sasol League and she wants it to be monitored so it can be part of the national junior structures and hopefully progress to the senior team.
“We all know the Hollywoodbets Super League can only have a certain amount of teams, so there are still good players in the Sasol League. Not everybody can play in the Super League and I have been impressed with a lot of players,” said Ellis.
Ellis has already spotted some hidden gems, mainly from the University of Pretoria team. The AmaTuks ladies have taken the competition by storm, qualifying for the semifinals yesterday after defeating Central University of the Free State 3-0. There was also a win for Copper Belts, who beat TS Galaxy Ladies 3-2.
“There’re a couple of young players, especially in the Tuks team, that should be part of the junior teams, you could see the quality they have,” Ellis said.
“We’re looking for players that can add value to the national team. We also compare them to the players we have, we look at the footage, and I have coaches and scouts watching.
“We’ll continue watching for those players that can add value. We also look at the performances, do they go up and keep them or go down? It tells you about the mentality of the player, we look at the tactical and technical skills,” she said.
Games at the national champs are coming at a rapid pace and the competition will be higher going to the knockout stages as teams are vying for a place in the final to ensure they get promotion to the Super League.
Ellis shared some advice with the coaches on how they can manage to go all the way and win the tournament.
“You have got to manage and make sure that you keep your players fresh. It’s all about getting the players fresh for the next game. If you don’t do that in tournaments you start well and end up not doing well. That will be key in this tournament, to make sure there is a freshness,” said Ellis.
There were also wins for Copper Belts and NWU Tawana as they beat TS Galaxy Ladies and Royal Wizards respectively.
• Tsotsi is in Polokwane as a guest of Sasol
Talent at national champs has Ellis in awe
Banyana coach sees future prospects at Sasol League tournament
Image: Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix
Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis has her assistant coaches and a network of scouts keeping a close eye on the Sasol League National Championship currently under way in Polokwane, Limpopo.
The reigning CAF Women’s Coach of the Year is of the view there’s plenty of talent playing in the Sasol League and she wants it to be monitored so it can be part of the national junior structures and hopefully progress to the senior team.
“We all know the Hollywoodbets Super League can only have a certain amount of teams, so there are still good players in the Sasol League. Not everybody can play in the Super League and I have been impressed with a lot of players,” said Ellis.
Ellis has already spotted some hidden gems, mainly from the University of Pretoria team. The AmaTuks ladies have taken the competition by storm, qualifying for the semifinals yesterday after defeating Central University of the Free State 3-0. There was also a win for Copper Belts, who beat TS Galaxy Ladies 3-2.
“There’re a couple of young players, especially in the Tuks team, that should be part of the junior teams, you could see the quality they have,” Ellis said.
“We’re looking for players that can add value to the national team. We also compare them to the players we have, we look at the footage, and I have coaches and scouts watching.
“We’ll continue watching for those players that can add value. We also look at the performances, do they go up and keep them or go down? It tells you about the mentality of the player, we look at the tactical and technical skills,” she said.
Games at the national champs are coming at a rapid pace and the competition will be higher going to the knockout stages as teams are vying for a place in the final to ensure they get promotion to the Super League.
Ellis shared some advice with the coaches on how they can manage to go all the way and win the tournament.
“You have got to manage and make sure that you keep your players fresh. It’s all about getting the players fresh for the next game. If you don’t do that in tournaments you start well and end up not doing well. That will be key in this tournament, to make sure there is a freshness,” said Ellis.
There were also wins for Copper Belts and NWU Tawana as they beat TS Galaxy Ladies and Royal Wizards respectively.
• Tsotsi is in Polokwane as a guest of Sasol
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