Danny Jordaan - Desiree Ellis is here to stay

Speaking to SABC Sport after the 32nd SAFA Ordinary Congress at the Birchwood Hotel and Conference Centre in Boksburg this past weekend, Jordaan says Banyana Banyana’s failure to qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris will not lead to Ellis’ sacking.

After Banyana lost to Nigeria 1-0 on aggregate last week, there were calls from certain sections for Ellis’s position as the head coach to be reconsidered.

But Jordaan says she’s here to stay.

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"No, no, her future is secure, you see what happened in the team. Today the team wins, South Africans are very happy, tomorrow the team loses they want to break down the house, destroy everything and then they will wonder why the hell did we break down the house,” Jordaan said.

“We must just become relaxed, and understand football is a game where there are two teams on the field and one will have to lose, particularly in the final match, there are penalty shootouts but there must be a decision, one must win, one must lose there's only one place there in the Olympics and it's not to be for South Africa. As painful as it is we have to understand that and to move forward and build."

Ellis’ current contract with Banyana Banyana is set to come to an end after the Olympics in August and the next WAFCON could be played in September or October later this year.

Banyana have not qualified for the Olympics since the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, Nigeria were also qualifying for the first time in 16 years.

Under Ellis, the South African national women’s national team have been to two FIFA Women’s World Cups (2019 and 2023) and also are the reigning African champions after winning the WAFCON title in 20222.

Jordaan says failure to qualify is a setback but they have to move on.

"No, of course, we wanted to qualify for the Olympics in Paris, it is a setback but in football, it happens. You get setbacks but you must continue, that's how football operates there are continuous competitions. So, our next step is to go back to the WAFCON and to go and defend our title,” Jordaan added.

“We've tried against Nigeria, and it was very close unfortunately the penalty that they conceded in Nigeria proved to be the difference but that's football. Sometimes you score, sometimes you don't, it's a way of football. So, there's nothing we can do about it but yes to focus and to continue and to work hard which we already spoke to the players of Banyana around that matter."