Ellis names preliminary World Cup squad

Banyana Banyana head coach, Desiree Ellis, has named a 36-member preliminary squad for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

Banyana will go into camp in Johannesburg on Monday, giving the players a chance to impress the coach before the final list for the global tournament is announced later this month.

“It’s most probably one of the most difficult selections I’ve ever had to make,” the Banyana Banyana coach told the SAFA news website.

“As a coach you always say players must raise their hand and make it difficult and it has been very difficult (selecting the preliminary squad). Congratulations to the players that have made the preliminary squad.

We are always saying players must raise their hands, and many of them have raised the hands. But this is the group of players that we think we can select from, and they have raised their hands. We are going to do a final selection as well as announce the final 23 plus three. That is even going to be more difficult, but this is the group of players that we think will do the job for us,” she said.

Banyana Banyana’s highest capped player, Janine van Wyk, was part of Ellis’ plans for the preliminary squad, but was eventually withdrawn from the list due to injury. Article by Ntsako Mkhari