Dazzling Desiree! Banyana Banyana mentor wins third successive CAF Coach of the Year award

Banyana Banyana mentor Desiree Ellis has been named the Women's Coach of the Year for a third successive time at the 2022 CAF Awards in Rabat, Morocco, on Thursday.

The 59-year-old previously won the prestigious award in 2018 after turning around the fortunes of the South African national senior women's team.

Ellis, a former Banyana player, replaced Vera Pauw on an interim basis in 2016 while the South African Football Association (SAFA) searched for a replacement.

She remained in the job for nearly two years before SAFA offered her the full-time job as Banyana head coach.

And with that confirmation signed and settled, Ellis further fine-tuned her charges and laid claim to what was a phenomenal 2018 for women's football in South Africa.

Ellis guided Banyana to the 2018 Women's Africa Cup of Nations final - losing on penalties to Nigeria - and qualified for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup for the first time in the national team's history.

In 2019, Ellis retained the Women's Coach of the Year gong (announced in January 2020), and while category at the 2021 edition - due to Covid-19 pandemic - this made her feat in Morocco on Thursday successive.

The Cape Town-born Ellis and Banyana already repeated their feat in 2018, securing their ticket to the 2023 Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

And on Saturday, Ellis will again be at a Women's Afcon final as Banyana charges come face-to-face against host nation Morocco at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium.

The kick-off will be at 22:00 (SA time).

3?? SUCCESSIVE TIMES! ?????? Desire Ellis is named 2??0??2??2?? Coach of the Year (WOMEN) AGAIN! ??#CAFAwards2022 pic.twitter.com/pg7XBWwBu8

Congratulations to Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis for being named the 2022 Coach of the