Coach Ellis heaps praise on Banyana heroes: 'They fought like warriors'

Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis heaped praise on her team after they beat Italy 3-2 on Wednesday to qualify for the last 16 at the FIFA Women's World Cup.

Captain Thembi Kgatlana scored the winner in the 92nd minute to make history for South Africa and set up a meeting with the Netherlands - sending Italy home.

Arianna Caruso scored twice for Italy and thought she had salvaged the draw they needed to go through with 16 minutes left, before Kgatlana's stunning late intervention.

Ellis, whose charges were beaten 2-1 in the last minute in their opener against Sweden and then drew 2-2 with Argentina, said: "This is just amazing. I thought they were incredible.

"I said we were going to fight for every ball. We said we're not going to give up and they were absolutely magnificent.

"This victory is for everyone back home, people that got up in the early hours of the morning to support us - that is for them."

Sweden topped Group G with nine points, followed by South Africa with four and Italy with three. Argentina finished bottom on one.

READ | 'Emotional' Banyana hero Kgatlana praises team-mates after making history: 'Everyone deserves it'

'Warriors'

Caruso scored an 11th-minute penalty to put Italy on the way but they conceded an equaliser in farcical circumstances on 32 minutes.

Italy defender Benedetta Orsi received the ball and, without looking up to see where Francesca Durante was, pinged the ball back to her goalkeeper.

But Durante was nowhere near where the backpass went and the ball ended up in the Italian net for a glaring own goal.

Italy hit the post in a goalmouth scramble just moments later but there was little to choose between them at the break in a wet Wellington.

The African champions knew they needed to score and