Banyana vs Jamaica in a friendly - Photo Courtesy SAFA Media.
South Africa senior women’s football team coach Desiree Ellis has attributed Banyana Banyana’s 3-2 loss to hosts Jamaica in a friendly on Monday to questionable officiating.
In a post-match press conference at Montego Bay, Ellis insisted that her team played better and deserved to win the game. “I am a bit disappointed, not in the performance though but in the decisions that did not go our way that I felt the assistant referee had a flag up and all of a sudden he put the flag down,” she said.
“Two contentious issues with penalties that should have and could have been. Other than that, we knew we were a better team than in the previous game even though we brought a young team from the Denmark tour.”
The award-winning coach said her team controlled the game and played as they wanted.
“I think for most of the game, we were in control even if we conceded but if decisions don’t go your way, you can do nothing. We might have lost but we lost with pride. If decisions had gone our way, we could have won the game,” Ellis added.
Banyana Banyana had lost 3-0 to the same opponents on November 30, 2024 in the first strength-testing match, making it four straight defeats for the Women Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) champions following 5-0 and 2-1 upsets at the hands of Denmark and England respectively last month.
The South Africans’ struggles continued in the second friendly in Jamaica despite having gone ahead through Linda Motlahalo’s 19th minute strike for the visitors to lead 1-0 at the break.
The Reggae Girlz responded in the second half through Vyan Sampson’s equalizer in the 58th minute before Drew Spence made it 2-1 five minutes later then McKenna completed the comeback with a 73rd minute effort.
Amogelang Motau reduced the deficit further with a late goal for the visitors but it was rather too little and too late. The fourth straight defeat should give Ellis food for thought on the prospect of the WAFCON title defence going into next year’s edition after being drawn in Group C alongside Ghana, Mali and Tanzania.
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