Ellis names squad for European tour

Banyana Banyana coach, Dr Desiree Ellis, has announced the 23-player squad that will participate in the European Tour from 21 – 31 October.

The announcement took place in Auckland Park, ahead of the African Champion’s high-profile international friendly matches against Denmark and England.

Our ⭐️⭐️⭐️ our golden generation 💛
Our 23 player squad to participate in the European Tour 😍⚽️❤️🇿🇦

🇩🇰vs🇿🇦 25 October 2024
Aalborgh Stadium, Aalborgh Denmark
KO 18:00
(Same time as SA)
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 vs 🇿🇦 29 October 2024
Coventry Building society arena, Coventry UK
KO 19:45
(21:45 in… pic.twitter.com/WObCTSBR5o

— Banyana_Banyana (@Banyana_Banyana) October 8, 2024

Banyana will open their European account when they play against Denmark on the 25th, at the Aalborgh Stadium, in Denmark. The match is scheduled for a 18h00 kick off. They will then travel the short distance to Coventry in the United Kingdom where they face reigning European Champions England on the 29th.

Dr Ellis’ charges have continued to represent women’s football admirably on the global stage and these international friendlies will also primarily help her prepare for the defense of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations title.

Speaking after the announcement, Dr Ellis expressed excitement for the two upcoming friendlies.

“We are preparing for the 2025 WAFCON, and we are very happy that we will be able to prepare against world class opposition.”

She says Denmark give Banyana the opportunity to work on their strength and areas that they struggle with against some African opponents.

“If you remember well, Senegal gave us very physical matches in our last international friendlies, and although I felt the player there dealt well with the situation, we need to work hard in building our players in those areas,” added Dr Ellis. Written by Ntsako Mkhari