Desiree Ellis demands mental and physical readiness for Nigeria

South Africa coach Desiree Ellis has called on her players to prepare themselves both mentally and physically for their upcoming 2027 World Cup qualification play-off against Nigeria. The match is scheduled to take place on Thursday at 9 pm in Casablanca, Morocco.

Ellis acknowledged that the team would have preferred to secure automatic qualification for the tournament in Brazil. Instead, the squad must now navigate the play-off stage to progress. She noted that while this route was not the original goal, it is the path the team must now follow.

The South African side must move past their recent exit from the Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON 2026). Banyana Banyana were eliminated following a 2-1 defeat to the host nation, Morocco, last Saturday. Ellis emphasized that the players need to recover quickly from that loss to focus on the encounter with the Super Falcons.

Nigeria also enters the play-off after being knocked out of WAFCON 2026. The Super Falcons were eliminated on Sunday after losing 1-0 to Cameroon. Both teams will compete at the Moulay Rachid Stadium to determine who advances.

Ellis stated that the team is not out of contention despite the difficult circumstances. She stressed the importance of being mentally alert and physically diligent to overcome the ten-time champions, who have a record of never missing a World Cup.