Down, disappointed and dejected, Desiree Ellis held back tears as she tried to explain how and why Banyana Banyana have failed to qualify for back-to-back Olympics under her watch.
The most successful coach in the history of Banyana has scaled impressive heights with the team since taking over in 2016.
She led Banyana to Women's Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) glory in 2022, along with reaching the last 16 of the FIFA Women's World Cup a year later – they became first senior South African football team to progress beyond the group stage in the global showpiece.