18 September 2019 – Banyana Banyana head coach Desiree Ellis has been named the 2019 Coach of the Year at the Western Cape Provincial Sport Awards held recently.

She also walked away with the Ministerial Commendation Award on the night.

Ellis, who is the CAF Woman Coach of the Year, is travelling to Milan, Italy to attend FIFA’s first ever Football Conference which will be analyzing the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup that took place in France in June.

She will be joining coaches from all the confederations – AFC, UEFA, OFC, CAF, CONCACAF and CONMEBOL.

Ellis has also heaped praise on midfielder and vice captain Refiloe Jane, as well as defender and captain Janine van Wyk on their overseas moves to Italy and Denmark respectively.

Here is what Ellis had to say, including talking about the newly-launched SAFA National Women’s League: