By Hard work and dedication has finally paid off and the Head Coach of Banyana Banyana, the African Champions Dr Desiree Ellis will take her stand next to other legends when she will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on 20 November 2024.
Ellis’s name will orbit into eternity and will forever be remembered as one of the legends who made an immense contribution towards South African sports. She made history with Banyana Banyana, whom the country hardly paid attention to when they were playing and turned them into a continental force to be reckoned.
Dr Desiree Ellis will also make history next week, as she will be one of the few if not the first woman in the male dominated sports code to make it to the football Hall of Fame alongside Dr Kaizer Motaung and Bafana Bafana class of 1996.
The South African Hall of Fame will be inducting her alongside the likes of former Bafana Bafana Coach Ephraim “Shakes” Mashaba, Bafana Bafana class of 1996 Captains Neil Tovey and Lucas Radebe, and the legendary Patrick “Ace”Ntsoelengoe, Jomo Sono and Nelson “Teenage” Dladla.
Dr Ellis told the South African Football Association (SAFA) that she is humbled to be honoured as one of the legends to have made history in South Africa.
“I am truly humbled and blessed. A big thank you to the South African Hall of Fame for the induction. A big thank you to the South African Football Association (SAFA) and Sasol for the unwavering support. I have to also say a very big thank you to the Banyana Banyana players and the staff, because we always speak about teamwork, and we always say that individuals will get recognition, and I’m just blessed that I’m one of those individuals,” said the legend.
“I’m really, really happy and really excited. This is a very high honour, and I’m very appreciative of it, to be with a group of such esteemed individuals. To my family, who’ve always been there to support me, thank you very much, and I’m just so blessed,” she concluded.
