Banyana had thumped the Scorchers 3-0 in the first friendly at UJ Soweto Campus two days earlier, where Nonhlanhla Mthandi bagged a brace with Linda Motlhalo also registering her name on the score sheet with a penalty kick.
The first friendly also served as Noko Matlou's farewell as the 39-year-old striker-turned-defender brought the curtain down on a 17-year international career that saw her amass 174 times.
“I think it [the double friendly against Malawi] helped us. If you look at the players that started and the players that came off the bench, I think we have a little bit more depth and that's important [because] you can't just have a starting XI,” Ellis said.
“In the first game we saw [Adrielle] Mibe and [Mavis] Maicaine playing out wide and that's a little bit more depth that we got ... Mthandi also had a really good game and that helped us in terms of adding more numbers to or depth because I think this Wafcon is going to be a competition where we gonna have to have a lot of versatility and depth.”
The Banyana coach emphasised the importance of having a strong bench at the Wafcon finals, where Banyana will be out to avoid being the first team to fail to defend the title in Morocco, where they won the last edition in 2022. The Wafcon kicks off from July 5 to July 26.
“We will have to have a really good bench. If the number [of players to go to Wafcon with] is 21 or 23, you will need versatility in your squad,” Ellis said.
“When I selected Gabby [Gabriela Salgado], people said she was a winger but she's actually a wingback and today [on Tuesday], playing a fullback, I thought she did well and now there's little bit more depth in that position, there's also a little bit more depth at centre-back.”
The second friendly against Malawi also saw 37-year-old veteran midfielder Nompumelelo “Mbuzi” Nyandeni finally play her 150th game for Banyana, bowing out in style.
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Ellis happy with Banyana's performance against Malawi and depth
Image: Sydney Seshibedi
Banyana Banyana's Desiree Ellis has lauded their double friendly against Malawi as a valuable exercise to prepare for the upcoming Women's Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon), also highlighting how the two games bolstered the squad depth.
Banyana came from a goal down to beat Malawi 2-1 in the second friendly at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Tuesday, courtesy of Hildah Mogaia's well-placed strike and Amogelang Motau's ferocious free-kick.
Banyana had thumped the Scorchers 3-0 in the first friendly at UJ Soweto Campus two days earlier, where Nonhlanhla Mthandi bagged a brace with Linda Motlhalo also registering her name on the score sheet with a penalty kick.
The first friendly also served as Noko Matlou's farewell as the 39-year-old striker-turned-defender brought the curtain down on a 17-year international career that saw her amass 174 times.
“I think it [the double friendly against Malawi] helped us. If you look at the players that started and the players that came off the bench, I think we have a little bit more depth and that's important [because] you can't just have a starting XI,” Ellis said.
“In the first game we saw [Adrielle] Mibe and [Mavis] Maicaine playing out wide and that's a little bit more depth that we got ... Mthandi also had a really good game and that helped us in terms of adding more numbers to or depth because I think this Wafcon is going to be a competition where we gonna have to have a lot of versatility and depth.”
The Banyana coach emphasised the importance of having a strong bench at the Wafcon finals, where Banyana will be out to avoid being the first team to fail to defend the title in Morocco, where they won the last edition in 2022. The Wafcon kicks off from July 5 to July 26.
“We will have to have a really good bench. If the number [of players to go to Wafcon with] is 21 or 23, you will need versatility in your squad,” Ellis said.
“When I selected Gabby [Gabriela Salgado], people said she was a winger but she's actually a wingback and today [on Tuesday], playing a fullback, I thought she did well and now there's little bit more depth in that position, there's also a little bit more depth at centre-back.”
The second friendly against Malawi also saw 37-year-old veteran midfielder Nompumelelo “Mbuzi” Nyandeni finally play her 150th game for Banyana, bowing out in style.
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