Banyana Banyana's lukewarm performance against Senegal not worrying Desiree Ellis ahead of potentially stormy WAFCON semi-final - 'We are not thinking about Nigeria right now'

Banyana Banyana set up a 2024 Women's Africa Cup of Nations semi-final date with Nigeria after beating Senegal 4-1 on penalties in the quarter-finals on Saturday.

This was after a 0-0 stalemate after extra time as both sides struggled to find the back of the net.

South Africa coach Desiree Ellis reacts to how her team performed against the Teranga Lionesses as Nigeria awaits them.

“I said the game was not going to be easy, I said it was going to be a difficult game because of the group they were in and how they got out – and we didn’t expect anything less," said Ellis on Safa.net.

"We dealt very well with their long ball, but sometimes we gave the ball away too cheaply. Senegal has improved from the last time we played them, the coach has done a fantastic job.

“We have been practising penalties, and we knew who our kickers were going to be, and that’s why we made the changes we made. We always knew that Andile can save one or two – she had done it before," added the former CAF Women's Coach of the Year. 

"This was our first penalty shoot victory in the WAFCON – we lost it in 2006 and in 2018 in the final. I don’t have enough words to describe this team – the resilience, the courage, the never-say-die attitude, the willingness to fight for each other. No matter what they threw at us, we were able to withstand that.

“We are not thinking about Nigeria right now, we will think about the next match tomorrow. Let’s celebrate what we have done.” 

The battle between Banyana and Nigeria is arguably the most significant among women's teams in Africa.

What could make Ellis and her girls appreciate the task that awaits them is the marauding nature with which the Super Falcons walloped a rising Zambian side 5-0 in the quarter-finals.

In the build-up to the semi-final, Nigeria's emphatic victory will be compared to Banyana's lacklustre outing against Senegal.

South Africa now shift base from Oujda to Casablanca, where they will meet Nigeria at Larbi Zaouli Stadium on Tuesday.

Ellis and her girls will be working on areas where they came short during the Senegal match to try and give themselves a huge chance against the nine-time African champions.