South Africa’s Ellis honoured by CAF again with coach award

South Africa’s Des Ellis has claimed the CAF Women’s Coach of the Year award for the second season running.

Ellis, who led Banyana Banyana to a third successive COSAFA Women’s Championship title in 2019, was presented with the award by South Africa Football Association president Danny Jordaan at the gala event in Hurgada, Egypt.

Ellis is still the only winner of the trophy after it was introduced in 2018 and was rewarded for her exploits with the national team, which included a first ever showing at the FIFA World Cup in France.

Ellis beat off competition from Cameroon’s Alain Djeumfa and former Nigeria coach Thomas Dennerby, who were also nominated.

Ellis has now made it three Coach of the Year titles in all for South Africa after Pitso Mosimane won the 2016 men’s trophy having guided Mamelodi Sundowns to the CAF Champions League that year.

They remain the only coaches from the COSAFA region to have lifted the award in either the male or female category.