Bafana
coach Gordon Igesund made this clear on Thursday while declaring that Kaizer
Chiefs goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune had "filled the role like a king"
after replacing Khumalo as captain following the African Nations Cup tournament
earlier in the year.
"Khune
has matured immeasurably as a player and a captain in a short space of
time." said Igesund.
"There
would seem to be no reason to make another switch in the captaincy - even with
Khumalo back in harness.
"In
fact I believe that Khumalo, now back to his best form with English Champions
League club Doncaster Rovers, will be better off freed of the captaincy burden
and able to concentrate on his role as a key defender.
"He's
had a tough time settling down since signing for Tottenham Hotspur and spending
a number of periods on loan with a succession of other clubs. Now he seems to have finally found his niche
at Doncaster. What is more," said the Bafana coach.
"I've
stressed to all my players that I expect to have 11 captains on the pitch at
all times, with everyone taking it on himself to give 100% effort and assume
full responsibility."
Igesund
added that he was not surprised by the fact that Botswana had delayed the
announcement of their final squad for the game in Durban, which both sides must
win to retain any hope of qualifying fpr the World Cup and also hope the group
leaders Ethiopia slip up in their final group qualifying game against the
Central African Republic.
"They
are taking the game in Durban as seriously as we are, and have arranged a friendly match for this
week-end against Uganda after which they will bring in the players who are
currently with clubs outside of Botswana and assess what is their best
combination," said Igesund.
