Banyana Banyana head coach Desiree Ellis has welcomed Robyn Moodaly-Salgado back to the fold, expressing satisfaction that the midfielder has reached a place where she feels mentally ready to return to international football.
Moodaly-Salgado was a notable presence at Banyana’s open training session at the AW Muller Stadium on Wednesday afternoon. Her appearance comes after she was named in the 31-member provisional squad for the upcoming Wafcon, which takes place later this month.
The midfielder returns to the national team after announcing late in 2023 that she would take a hiatus from international duty. At the time, she stepped away to focus on her mental health while continuing to commit to her club, JVW Ladies, in the Hollywoodbets Super League.
“I don’t want to go into detail about that. I don’t want to speak about one individual player, but I am glad that she’s back,” Ellis said of her return. “As far as I know, she didn’t retire; she just took a step away from international football to focus on her mental health.”
Safa is placing a stronger emphasis on mental health, particularly following the tragic passing of Bafana Bafana midfielder Jayden Adams, who reportedly died by suicide after suffering from depression.
In an effort to raise mental health awareness, Safa has appointed a mental coach for Banyana ahead of – a move that greatly pleases Ellis. She revealed that she also utilises personal support to help navigate her own challenges.
“We do have a coach who helps us with the mental side of things in camp,” Ellis revealed. “I have my own personal coach, too. Sometimes you can feel overwhelmed because football is not easy. We are just making sure that everyone is okay.”
“We are not just dealing with footballers, but firstly with human beings. I think people forget that before we were sportspeople, we were human beings. We have the same challenges as everyone else out there.”
Whether Moodaly-Salga do makes the final cut will be confirmed in the coming days, when Ellis announces the 26-member squad that will represent Banyana at the Wafcon finals in Morocco.
