Ellis names Banyana squad for games against Senegal

Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis has announced her squad for two friendly matches against Senegal.

Banyana meet the Lionesses of Teranga on May 31 and June 4, both games at Stade Lat Dior in Thiès, Senegal.

The matches are being used to keep the defending Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) champions sharp towards the 2024 edition in Morocco and for Ellis to continue to build depth in her squad.

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.

“October last year showed what a core group is about, when we had so many players missing because of injuries, exams and visa issues [as Banyana played Wafcon qualifiers],” Ellis told South African Football Association (Safa) media.

“We are always looking at the depth and the versatility in our team and we have made some changes to the squad for the fixtures against Senegal.

“This selection presents an exciting opportunity for us to assess and explore the potential of other players in our core group. We are not only investing in the future of the team but also providing opportunities for all players to grow and to contribute to the success of the team.”

The Banyana squad, as posted on Safa’s social media: