We turn back to football to learn more about Desiree Ellis, South Africa's Banyana Banyana coach who moved into the dugout after her playing days were over, and has now entered the record books as the first female coach to lead South Africa's national women's team to qualify for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup. CGTN's Julie Scheier sat down with Ellis to share her story.

Desiree Ellis, former player, captain and assistant coach of the South African National Women's Soccer team is the first female head-coach to spearhead Banyana-Banyana to a FIFA Women's World Cup.

DESIREE ELLIS SOUTH AFRICA COACH "My story started little bit way earlier than that playing at the boys play-ground at primary school getting to play with boys after school, not just with boys but my cousins and then at the very young age of thirty, when our former late president Nelson Mandela was released, I got the opportunity to try for the national team, I went to my employees at the time because this was the opportunity that you dream of, they said I had to make that decision and I made the decision to come, I made the national team as a vice captain."

Ellis never looked back. As player, she set early standards for Banyana-Banyana and had a major influence in the formative years of the national women's team.

DESIREE ELLIS FORMER NATIONAL TEAM PLAYER "I played in the national team until the age of 39, I won our first ever trophy in 2002 which was the COSAFU Cup, fast forward a couple of years on Vera Powell came to the country and then she gave me a call to ask if I want to be her assistant coach. I jumped at the chance and was her assistant coach for two and a half years, got to go to the Olympics, never had the opportunity as a player and when Vera Powell left the country and then in February 2018 I was appointed the Head coach."

The first person to win the COSAFA Cup as a player and coach. Ellis added the 2018 CAF Women's Coach of the Year Award to her trophy cabinet.

DESIREE ELLIS BANYANA BANYANA COACH "You never do things for awards and rewards but we always talk about if a team does well, the individual will stand out and normally it is the players the nomination was big, just to be nominated amongst the top three but I suppose the year that Banyana had opened up the door for me and just standing up there was really a proud moment for all the work that has been put in and it is just not a reward for me but for all the women coaches out there."

South Africa is preparing to leave an impact on the world stage when they make their first ever appearance at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in France.

DESIREE ELLIS SOUTH AFRICA COACH "It is eleven versus eleven. I don't think any group we are going to be in was going to be easy. When you go to a tournament like this, you know you want to do well. We've been to two back to back Olympics - competed very well but this time around we want to do more than compete - when the World Cup is over we want people to go wow!"

Come France 2019 - South Africa will face Germany, China and Spain in Group B. JULIE SCHEIER, CGTN, JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA.