South Africa’s women’s football team will receive a hero’s welcome this week for their World Cup exploits, but if they are to reach their full potential they will need more support and a professional domestic league to play in, coach Desiree Ellis has said.
The team exceeded expectations by getting past the first round in Australia and New Zealand, their journey ending in the last 16 in Sydney on Sunday in a 2-0 defeat to the Netherlands.
After losing all three games in their first World Cup in France four years ago, Banyana Banyana looked a much-improved outfit as they almost held heavily fancied Sweden to draw, led against Argentina and then scored a dramatic last-gasp winner to edge out Italy for a place in the knockout stages.
But if they are to do better next time, Ellis insists that clubs in the country must turn professional to keep up with the countries at the top of the world game.
Companies had a responsibility to invest in the women’s game, she said.
“To the sponsors. I don’t know how you can ignore something special like this,” Ellis said of her team’s tournament run.
Original from www.aljazeera.com