Banyana Banyana suffered a 2–1 defeat to Namibia women’s national football team in the final.
Dr Ellis said she was proud of the team’s effort and the courage they showed throughout the tournament.
“They were stretched to their limits and we have a bigger core group now because of this. We have a couple of 16, 17- and 18-year-olds in the team. It may not have been the experience they would have wanted, but I think that medal will remind them never to want the same feeling again. This was a worthwhile exercise, and we can now safely say there is a great future for South African women’s football,” said Dr Ellis.
She added that her side created enough chances to win the match, even before extra time.
“I thought we conceded poorly, but as I said, this is a young group. We played five games, and obviously they (Namibia) looked a bit fresher towards the end of the game as they played four matches. Winning a gold medal would have been fantastic, but we fell short. We must also congratulate Namibia – they were resolute and defended really well,” Dr Ellis added.
South Africa had six different scorers during the tournament, with Ronnel Donnelly Majiya netting twice. Nthabiseng Mokoma, Gabriela Salgado, Nonhlanhla Mthandi, Thorisho Mphelo and Sibulele Holweni each added a goal.
Meanwhile, Zambia women’s national football team secured the bronze medal after defeating Zimbabwe women’s national football team 3–1 in the third-place play-off.