Ellis urges composure and growth ahead of final clash

BANYANA Banyana coach Desiree Ellis says it will be important for the team to win their final Three Nations match against Zambia on Tuesday as they continue preparations for the Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).

- MIHLALI BALEKA

Banyana started the tournament on a high, beating neighbours Botswana 3-2 at the Lucas Masterpieces Moripe Stadium on Wednesday. It was a patchy display, though, as they went into the break 3-1 up, only to concede another goal in the second half, making for a nervy finish.

Ellis knows that mistakes are part and parcel of football, and that’s why she won't be hard on the players if they make errors at this stage of the build-up to WAFCON. Banyana will need to produce a sterling campaign in Morocco, where they will head as defending champions.

“Look, we don’t have many camps where we can look at a lot of players, so this is the big game that we've had this year,’ Ellis said.