MAGIC, Desiree Ellis, from Salt River to the 2023 World Cup

230pp., colour illus., paperback, Johannesburg, 2023

Desiree Ellis began playing soccer on the streets of Salt River, Cape Town, where she grew up. She has been associated with Banyana Banyana, the South African women’s national football team, for 30 years – first as a player (1993–2002) and later as a coach. She was officially appointed head coach in 2018 and coached Banyana Banyana to the Wafcon title in Morocco, a win that earned the team automatic qualification for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Sports journalist Luke Alfred has written for The Guardian, The Observer and Wisden. He was on the founding staff of the Sunday Independent in 1995 and worked for the Sunday Times for ten years. Magic is his eighth book.