Having starred in last year's run to the Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) semi-finals, South Africa's Lebohang Ramalepe once again benefitted from being deployed on the wing, rather than at right-back, when she came on in Friday's 2-2 draw against Ivory Coast.
Having spent the decade prior at full-back, the Mamelodi Sundowns star excelled in a surprise shift to winger from Ellis at last year's WAFCON. The 34-year-old shifted back to right-back for Banyana's opening game this year -- a 2-1 defeat to Tanzania -- and was initially benched against Ivory Coast, but played a role in changing the game in the last 28 minutes plus stoppage time when she came on as a late substitute for Noxolo Cesane.
Minutes after Ramalepe came on, Thembi Kgatlana halved Ivory Coast's lead. Hildah Magaia then smashed home a stoppage time equaliser to salvage a vital point. Ramalepe had played a role in shifting the momentum with her incisive runs, not for the first time in an advanced role.
Ramalepe told ESPN: "Coach [Ellis] changing my position from a full-back to a winger was something new to me.
"I spent more than 10 years without playing as a winger, so now, going to WAFCON - her saying: 'I want you to play as a winger. You can give us that pace going forward and challenge for the ball' [sparked new excitement]."
Regardless of where she plays on the field for club and country, Ramalepe's game revolves around contributing at both ends: "You just need to balance [defence and attack].
"When you play as a full-back, you need to also help the team to attack, so I think those are the things that I've put together to work to my advantage. I have the pace - so I need to always be there.
"If we need to defend, I must always come back and help the team defend. If the team is attacking, I need to show up and help the team attack."
Ramalepe played club football in her home province of Limpopo until the age of 28. A subsequent stint at Dinamo Minsk in Belarus was a major breakthrough, but she found a football home back in South Africa with Mamelodi Sundowns after joining in 2023, as the Motsepe family's club invested into South African women's football on an unprecedented scale.
Ramalepe said: "Before I joined Sundowns, I know other teams were like: 'You have to balance [football and work outside]. You have to find a 9-to-5 job.'
"With Sundowns now, you have a pro contract and you just come to training. You prepare for matches over the weekend. What Sundowns are doing for women's football is great.
"I hope and believe other teams can find endorsements where they will be able to pay players. We lose so many talents because others will say: 'I'd rather go work [elsewhere] than play and not get paid.'"
The HollywoodBets Super League remains semi-professional, with 21 of Banyana's 26 players in the WAFCON squad coming from local clubs.
Magaia is unattached and there are four players currently contracted to clubs abroad: Kgatlana (Tigres UANL), Bongeka Gamede (Nordsjaelland), Linda Motlhalo (Glasgow City) and Amogelang Motau (Club Tijuana).
Among the locally-based players, there are few with experience comparable to Ramalepe's. Refiloe Jane -- who starred for Canberra United, AC Milan and Sassuolo -- is an exception. The captain is now back on home soil with TS Galaxy.
Banyana remain in Casablanca to face Burkina Faso on August 4. They need a win to stand any chance of progressing to the quarter-finals.
The four semi-finalists will automatically qualify for the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil, with two losing quarter-finalists advancing via an African playoff to the Inter-Confederation Playoffs.
If they beat Burkina Faso, a draw between Ivory Coast and Tanzania in their final fixture would still see them eliminated. An Ivory Coast win over Tanzania and Banyana win over Burkina Faso would see South Africa advance, while wins for Tanzania and Banyana would see South Africa and Ivory Coast separated by goal difference.