South Africa coach Desiree Ellis has urged the corporate world and government to get involved and invest in women’s football after they failed to qualify for the quarter-finals of the ongoing Fifa Women’s World Cup.

Banyana Banyana bowed out of the tournament following a 2-0 defeat to Netherlands in the round of 16. However, the former national team captain believes the next Banyana Banyana team at the World Cup can perform even better should the necessary support from the private sector and government get behind the women’s game in South Africa.

“With what this team has achieved, I think the corporate world needs to stand up and really take notice and be counted. Otherwise, we’re going to come back in four years’ time and we’re going to go through the same thing and everybody’s going to say this team played and we could have gone further,” said Ellis as quoted by CafOnline.

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She added: “When I look at the World Cup, the possibility of us winning it was there and it was there for everyone. So, we urge the corporates to come on board to assist here and the government to step in and assist in growing the women’s game.”

The reigning champions will return to home soil with their heads held up high and will be hoping to replicate their performance in the upcoming CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers in the next few months.