Desiree Ellis not taking 'tough' Senegal lightly in Wafcon quarter-finals
BANYANA Banyana's spirited performance against Mali in their final Group C match of the 2025 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) on Monday did more than send the defending champions to the quarter-finals but it also strengthened coach Desiree Ellis' confidence in her charges.
Banyana will host free-scoring Senegal in Saturday's second quarter-final at Honneur Stadium in Oudja, where they played all their group matches.
Even though Senegal finished third in Group A behind hosts Morocco and Banyana's southern African neighbours Zambia, Ellis feels the west Africans have done enough to show that they mean business.
'Senegal? They've shown in a very difficult group that they can toughen it up with the best. So things are once again not going to be easy (against them in the quarter-final),' said Ellis.
'I don't think any game has been easy at the Wafcon and that is evidence to the fact almost everyday in the continent you've got teams now playing.
'Malawi they are not even here (in Morocco) but they are busy preparing for the qualifiers elsewhere.
'We have to give it to the federations that have been giving the teams an opportunity,' Ellis added even though her side faced a long list of off field problems before even kicking a ball in Morocco.
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