South African women’s national team coach, Desiree Ellis, is determined to see her squad bounce back from their recent loss to the United States of America.
She is now focusing their attention on the upcoming second international friendly match between the two teams, scheduled for Sunday, 24 September.
In the first match held in Cincinnati, the African champions endured a challenging 0-3 defeat. Sinoxolo Cesane made her debut appearance, entering the game in the 89th minute as a replacement for Kholosa Biyana.
Ellis is eager for her team to regroup and conclude their USA tour on a positive note, with the next match taking place at Soldier Field stadium in Chicago.
Prior to their departure to Chicago, the Banyana Banyana squad engaged in a recovery session.
Ellis has emphasized the importance of these two games in providing opportunities for various players as the team gears up for a demanding schedule ahead.
“It is a quick turnaround for game two but we will recover in time, I hope the fans saw what we were trying to do,” Ellis told Safa website.
“We also tried to give others an opportunity to test them and see what they can do and more players will get more game time in the second game.
“We did say that we must be organized defensively. The first 20 minutes is key and we were excellent. We have got to push, stay compact and concentrate in defence a little bit longer and when we get the chances we have to be a little bit more clinical in front of goals,” Ellis said.