THE SA Football Association (Safa) national executive committee is due to meet before the end of this week to start proceedings for the appointment of a new permanent Banyana Banyana coach.
Desiree Ellis has been in the job on an interim basis since Dutch-born Vera Pauw resigned after last year’s dismal campaign at the Rio Olympics.
Ellis confirmed to SunSport yesterday that she has called up 24 players for a five-day training camp at Safa’s national technical centre in Fun Valley from 28 May to 1 June.
She admits Banyana need to improve their attack as they prepare for a competitive 2018.
A lack of clinical strikers has been Safa’s biggest nightmare in Bafana Bafana, Banyana, Amajita and the Under-17s recently, which is a result of the poor quality of local attackers in the PSL.
At last year’s African Women’s Cup of Nations, South Africa were only able to score in one of their five matches, which saw the team finish fourth for the second year in a row.
Ellis said they needed to widen the net by giving new players an opportunity.
“There has been a lot of scouting,” she said, declining to confirm names of the players called up for camp.
“We are trying to get a mix of players. We won’t know their capabilities unless we mix them with other Banyana players. We are looking for strikers, we know we have a problem in that department.”
The former Banyana captain said they wanted to see what contribution new players could make to Banyana.
SunSport has independently learnt that new faces in the squad include Mamelodi Sundowns’ Zanele Nhlapo and University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Biyana Kholosa.
South Africa will get a chance to test themselves during the next Fifa break when they are meant to play two friendly matches against opponents yet to be confirmed.
Ellis herself is still in the dark about their June opponents, referring enquiries to Fran Hilton-Smith.
She said: “We have worked something out but it’s about availability. There’s no competition this year, Africa is at a standstill. It’s an important year for planning.”
