Challenged Bafana Bafana Team set off for Australasia Tour
Bafana Bafana have left today for their Australasia tour…and they need our support! So if you’re an expat in that region, please go cheer them along on 26 May (Australia) and 30 May (New Zealand). The football team faced a major crisis in the days leading up to their departure, as many players withdrew from the […]
Bafana Bafana have left today for their Australasia tour…and they need our support! So if you’re an expat in that region, please go cheer them along on 26 May (Australia) and 30 May (New Zealand).
The football team faced a major crisis in the days leading up to their departure, as many players withdrew from the squad for various reasons, including injuries.
Bafana coach Gordon Igesund, who made a further four changes to the team just yesterday, has remained optimistic, announcing that “I am very happy with this squad. As I said before, I have identified around 34 players who form the core of my vision and all these replacements are part of that bigger group. We are going to Australia and New Zealand to compete!”
Igesund sees this as an opportunity for the younger players to gain experience. He says they are very capable players who are “young and excited about playing for the country”.
“All these players are part of the group that should participate in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches for 2015 in Morocco,” he said. “This is an opportunity for those selected to raise their hands and be counted. They are young and should compete.”
The most recent changes to the team are the loss of Oupa Manyisa, Teko Modise, Thabo Matlaba and Kermit Erasmus who have “pulled out for various reasons” according to the South African Football Association (SAFA). Their replacements are: Siyabonga Nhlapo (Bidvest Wits), veteran Kaizer Chiefs midfielder, Reneilwe Letsholonyane, Sibusiso Khumalo (SuperSport United) and Siphelele Mthembu (Platinum Stars).
The Bafana coach said he has confidence in those selected, and “it has been a long season for most of these players and there is little I can do about injuries. Injuries are part of the game of football and there is no one to be blamed for this.”
The team will play the Australian Socceroos in Sydney on Monday 26 May, and then fly to New Zealand where they meet the home team in Auckland on 30 May. Go Bafana Bafana! Go Bafana Bafana FANS!