Ellis eyes improvement as Banyana prepare for Copper Queens Challenge

Lucas Moripe Stadium is set to host a thrilling women's international friendly this afternoon as South Africa’s senior women’s national team, Banyana Banyana, take on Zambia’s Copper Queens in the second match of their international window.

Coming off a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Botswana, Head Coach Dr. Desiree Ellis shared her thoughts ahead of the clash against Zambia — a familiar and formidable opponent in the Southern African region.

Ellis remained clear on these objectives: testing her squad’s depth, improving on recent errors, and preparing for bigger challenges ahead. “That’s a completely different game,” she says, referring to the previous fixture.

“This is also about us having a look at more players because that is what the international friendlies are for — to evaluate the squad and see where players are at, especially those returning from injury and those who came into camp a little later.”

There’s a familiar sense of rivalry whenever Banyana Banyana faces Zambia’s Copper Queens. The recent history between the two nations is telling. In the 2024 Cosafa Women’s Championship final, Zambia edged South Africa 4–3 on penalties after a goalless draw, securing their second regional title.

Prior to that, in September 2022, Zambia had again triumphed with a 1–0 victory in the Cosafa playoffs. However, South Africa holds a crucial win in July 2022, when they narrowly beat Zambia 1–0 in the semifinals of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations — a victory that propelled them into the final and ultimately the championship title.

South Africa and Zambia have developed a strong rivalry in recent years, with each match becoming more competitive than the last. Ellis acknowledges the quality and evolution of the Zambian side, who have caused Banyana trouble in recent meetings.

“I think that they will really test us and not take into account their game against Botswana because when you play a different opponent you plan differently,” she said.

“We know that they are going to bring a lot of things that we need to be better at and we also know that they are going to challenge us in a different way that Botswana challenged us.”

Despite Banyana’s proud legacy, Ellis understands that today’s clash is about more than history — it’s about improving on the pitch.

“We need to be better defensively,” she admits. “The two goals that we gave away we could’ve handled those situations better. We are looking for an improved performance in all areas, better on the ball, better organised and creating more chances and putting more chances on target, but it will be a different test altogether.”

Kick-off between South Africa and Zambia is set for 3pm at Lucas Moripe Stadium.