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Desiree Ellis, the head coach of South Africa’s women’s national team, made her debut thirty years ago in the country’s first women’s international match. She is now guiding the country’s women’s team to the World Cup for the second time, this time in Australia and New Zealand. Ellis recounted the tears of pleasure they shed three decades ago on May 30, when they represented South Africa and made history in women’s international football.
Significant changes have occurred in South African women’s football over the years. Previously, the national squad consisted largely of unemployed athletes, but currently, 99% of team members have degrees and some even play abroad. Ellis is proud of how far they have come because of their growth and improvement.
South Africa lost 2-1 to Sweden in the opening match of the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. Despite the loss, Ellis expressed her pride in her team’s performance and tenacity on Friday. According to the Guardian, the team earned its first World Cup point against Argentina on Friday.
Ellis has blazed a trail for women’s football as a coach. She took over after Vera Pauw left in 2016, and she helped South Africa qualify for their first World Cup. Despite a difficult stretch of 13 games without a win, Ellis’ perseverance and confidence in her abilities paid off, as she kept her job.
Ellis is one of twelve female coaches at the enlarged World Cup, out of a total of 32. She is Africa’s only female head coach among the four representatives. Ellis is encouraged by the growing number of female coaches and expects to see more chances and support for women in football, particularly in Africa.
Her football career began as a midfielder in the 1970s, when women’s participation in sports was discouraged. Despite hurdles posed by South Africa’s apartheid regime, Ellis stayed devoted to the game. Her family’s encouragement and determination aided her in pursuing her goals.
Since then, South African women’s football has gone a long way. South Africa won the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) in 2022 after reaching the final in 2018. Even though the outcomes were not as expected, their first World Cup appearance in 2019 was a momentous milestone. Since then, progress has been made, with the establishment of the country’s first professional women’s league.
Ellis’ football path displays determination and resilience. She acts as an example for other female coaches in the sport. With the expansion of women’s football in South Africa, there is optimism for future advancement and possibilities for women in the sport across the African continent.
