WATCH | Banyana coach picks Wafcon squad, insists bonus squabbles are thing of past

Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis has painted a picture of a happy camp ahead of the looming Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon), hoping there won’t be any bonus row this time around.

Ellis announced her final 26-member squad at Sasol Place in Sandton on Friday, with the team departing for host country Morocco on Saturday (July 18).

This year’s Wafcon starts on Saturday, July 25, and ends on August 16.

Disagreements over bonuses, between Banyana and the SA Football Association (Safa), have always reared up before big tournaments. However, insisting that this camp is harmonious and happy, Ellis says she is confident the two parties will buck the trend this year.

“Look, there’s a very good spirit. It’s very important that we are on one page. We had a meeting with the senior players like we always do, to find out what they want, and they speak about qualifying for the World Cup, which is really important,” Ellis said.

“It’s a first point of call, they speak about gathering everybody together ... making sure that we lift up anyone who’s not okay. We have to be one team. I believe they [Safa] are playing ball [in making sure that there’s no bonus row]. I do believe that things are okay and I believe that everything will be sorted.”

Ellis also explained the make-up of her squad, suggesting the lessons learnt from two previous Wafcons informed some of her choices as she seeks a mixture of youth and experience in the team.

“I have been following games since the start of the league and all I was looking for was consistency ... you can’t play one out of five [games],” Ellis stated.

“We also looked back at last year’s Wafcon [where they disappointingly finished fourth], we looked back at 2022 [where they won the title for the first and last time to date].

“In 2022 we had a really good squad ... we had Amogelang Motau, Robyn Moodaly, Bongeka Gamede, all of them were not regulars [but stepped up whenever they were needed].

“We are looking for something similar, where if one player goes out you have another one coming in. But we were also looking for youth and experience. If you look, we have six or seven players under the age of 23 and we have an 18-year-old in our squad as well [in Zoe October].”

Banyana are in Group B with Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso and Tanzania. They get their campaign underway against the latter on July 27 in Rabat.

Full Banyana Wafcon squad

Keepers: Andile Dlamini; Kylin Swart; Kebotseng Moletsane

Defenders: Lebogang Ramalepe; Lonathemba Mhlongo; Asanda Hadebe; Bambanani Mbane; Antonia Maponya; Khutso Pila; Karabo Dhlamini; Fikile Magama

Midfielders: Refiloe Jane; Linda Motlhalo; Bongeka Gameda; Noxolo Cesane; Gabriela Salgado-Moodaly; Nonhlanhla Mthandi; Isabela Luidwig; Sibulele Holweni; Robyn Moodaly-Salgado

Forwards: Ronnel Donnelly; Hildah Magaia; Ronnel Donnelly; Thembi Kgatlana; Nthabiseng Majiya; Zoe October

Sowetan