Desiree Ellis Reacts To Winning CAF Women’s Coach Of The Year Award

Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis has shared her reaction after she won the 2022 CAF Women’s Coach of the Year Award at the CAF Awards that were held in Rabat, Morocco on Thursday night. This is the third time that Ellis takes home the accolade after she won it back in 2018 and 2019 before the awards ceremony was suspended both in 2020 and 2021.

She feels that her winning is all because of the hard work put in by every individual involved in developing women’s football in South Africa.

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“This for me is not really an individual award, we always say when the team does well the individual stands out, this is a team award because as a coach you work with a team, so if the team does well the individual stands out,” Ellis said in Rabat at the Mohamed VI Complex on Thursday evening.

“I dedicated this award to the Banyana team and the coaches in [South African] women’s football because of the contribution they have made to the national team for me to win this award.”

“First the confidence given by them in us, the support is not just going to the president but the technical director during matches, getting feedback and also we had some challenges here and we picked up the phone at the CEO assisted us, they have been tremendous in giving us support,” Ellis said.

“You can get appointed and not get support in that way, as you can see over the past four years the team has really grown and that’s through the efforts of SAFA and Sasol – making it possible to play top opposition all the time, to get ready for competitions as well. I think going forward that will continue.

Ellis will lead Banyana in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (AWCON) final when they lock horns with the hosts Morocco on Saturday at 22:00.

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The Full List of Winners:

Player of the Year (Men)
Sadio Mane (Senegal and Bayern Munich)

Player of the Year (Women)
Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria and FC Barcelona)

Interclub Player of the Year (Women)
Evelyn Badu (Ghana & Sekondi Hasaacas Ladies/Alvaldsnes)

Interclub Player of the Year (Men)
Mohamed El Shenawy (Egypt & Al Ahly)

Young Player of the Year (Women)
Evelyn Badu (Ghana & Sekondi Hasaacas Ladies/Alvaldsnes)

Young Player of the Year (Men)
Pape Matar Sarr (Senegal and Tottenham Hotspur)

Coach of the Year (Women)
Desiree Ellis (South Africa)

Coach of the Year (Men)
Aliou Cisse (Senegal)

Club of the Year (Women)
Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)

Club of the Year (Men)
Wydad Athletic Club (Morocco)

National Team of the Year (Men)
Senegal

National Team of the Year (Women)
Due to the absence of a major women’s competition during the period under review, the Organising Team for the CAF Awards 2022 has reviewed the selection process for this important category. The TotalEnergies Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Morocco will be factored as one of the criterion in deciding a winner befitting of the status of the award and women’s football in general. The winner will be announced on 23 July 2022 during the final match of the Women’s AFCON.

Goal of the Year
Pape Ousmane Sakho (Senegal & Simba)