Ellis pleased as Senegal need late penalty to draw with new-look Banyana

Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis was pleased she could give game time to less regular players and her team only were held to a 1-1 draw due to a late penalty for Senegal in their friendly at Stade Lat Dior in Thies, Senegal, on Saturday. 

Banyana are using their two friendly matches in Senegal — they meet the Lionesses of Teranga in the second game at the same venue on Tuesday (7pm SA time) — as preparation for the defence of their Women's Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) title in Morocco this year. 

Nthabiseng Majiya put South Africa in the lead in the 67th minute. Senegal received a penalty in the last minute through which Mbayang Saw equalised in the 93rd.

“I think we were in complete control. We knew exactly what Senegal were going to do,” Ellis said.

“We knew they were going to play the long ball and we dealt really well with that. We had a few opportunities and then we took the lead.

“But I’m very proud of the players because from the last match against Nigeria [Banyana’s two-legged Olympic qualifying defeat] we only brought 12 players, and only six from the starting line-up.

“We’ve given game time to players who don’t regularly get it because we wanted to make sure to test them.

“We knew Senegal would be physical and because we are so short we said to play the ball around and I think we played a very good game of football.

“Unfortunately we conceded right at the end. I will look at it but I don’t think it was a penalty, but anyway.”

Caf are yet to announce the dates for this year’s Wafcon. The 2022 tournament, also hosted by Morocco, was held in July of that year.