Ellis prepares Banyana for high-stakes Women's World Cup playoff draw

South Africa are in Pot 2 alongside Papua New Guinea, while Uzbekistan and China make up Pot 1 for the preliminary stage of the Women's World Cup playoff tournament. Each team will play three matches, with two sides advancing to the final phase.

Desiree Ellis says Banyana Banyana must commit fully to the route after their hopes of automatic qualification ended at the WAFCON. South Africa missed the semi-finals, the stage that would have secured a place at next year's Women's World Cup in Brazil, but stayed in contention by beating Nigeria 2-1 in the playoff match.

Ghana and Ecuador complete Pot 3. South Africa cannot be drawn with Ghana because both teams are members of CAF, and Banyana must finish in the top two in November to move beyond the preliminary round.

The final phase will bring the two successful teams from the preliminary tournament together with four European sides, two teams from South America and two representatives from CONCACAF. That stage could be held in Brazil in February next year, giving Ellis' team another opportunity to reach the World Cup.

Ellis has pointed to the Democratic Republic of Congo's men's team, which recently qualified for the World Cup through the play-offs, as proof that a difficult route can still be completed. She also recalled Cameroon’s failure in 2023 as a reminder of how quickly such ambitions can end. Her focus is now on making sure South Africa survive the first stage and prepare properly once the draw is known.

The Hollywoodbets Super League Amplified resumes this weekend, with fixtures scheduled at Sol Plaatjie University stadium in Kimberley. Ellis expects the domestic programme to help address fitness concerns, saying conditioning should not be the same problem in November that it was when Banyana began the WAFCON in Morocco.