Ellis has named a 23-player squad for the preliminary play-off tournament in Morocco, where the South Africans must finish among the top two nations to keep their World Cup hopes alive.

The competition runs from 28 November to 5 December, with Banyana scheduled to face Chinese Taipei, Ecuador and Uzbekistan at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Rabat.

Banyan Banyana in Bloemfontein - Morgan Piek

Ellis has retained much of the squad that recently represented the country in Bloemfontein, where Banyana recorded back-to-back victories over Madagascar in their Olympic Games qualifying campaign.

One of the notable inclusions is Denmark-based midfielder Sibulele Holweni, who earns her first national team call-up since moving to Europe last month.

Ellis admitted that several players were considered but ultimately missed out because of injuries, examinations and passport complications.

Noxolo Cesane - Morgan Piek

“There were other players that we were looking at, but due to exams, injuries and a lack of valid passports, we had to omit them. However, we are happy with the selections we have made, as they give us a balanced squad that we believe will get the required outcomes in Morocco,” said Ellis.

Banyana will, however, be without experienced captain Refiloe Jane for their opening encounter. Jane is suspended after collecting two yellow cards during the WAFCON play-off clash against Nigeria in August.

South Africa open their campaign against Chinese Taipei on Saturday, 28 November, at 16:00 (SA time). They will then face Ecuador on Tuesday, 1 December, at 21:00 before concluding their preliminary campaign against Uzbekistan on Saturday, 5 December, at 19:00.

Ronnel Donnelly scored five goals in the two games against Madagascar - Morgan Piek

Ghana and Papua New Guinea are also participating in the tournament, but only the top two teams will advance to the final qualifying phase in February 2027.

Ellis knows that a positive opening result could be crucial, particularly with matches coming thick and fast and limited recovery time between fixtures.

“This is not the route we wanted to go, but we are here now. We are all aware that we have to get one of the top two spots, which makes the first match the most important because it sets the tone for the rest of the competition,” she added.

“With a positive result, we will give ourselves the required momentum, as well as a huge boost, because the games are going to come thick and fast. We know that in these tournaments there is not a lot of time between matches. Hence, I emphasise that the opening match will be very crucial. If we get that right, we stand a good chance of progressing.

The two successful nations from Morocco will join four other teams – one from UEFA, one from CONMEBOL and two from CONCACAF – in the final qualifying phase. Those six teams will contest single-match knockout fixtures, with the three winners securing their places at the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup in Brazil.

Banyana assemble for camp on 18 November before travelling to Morocco the following day.

Morgan Piek OFM Sport