Bafana
Bafana coach Gordon Igesund has announced a 23-man squad that will do duty
against Morocco in an international friendly match to be played on Friday, 11
October 2013 at Agadir New Stadium in Agadir City, Morocco.
The
clash is scheduled to kick off at 19h00 local time in Morocco (21h00 in South
Africa).
Igesund
has picked a balanced squad comprising youth and experience with an everage age
of 24 years. Twelve players ply their trade in the PSL and 11 are
overseas-based.
Five
of the squad members are uncapped – goalkeeper Ronwen Williams (Supersport
United), defender Kgosi Ntlhe (Peterborough FC), midfielders, Sibusiso Vilakazi
(Bidvest Wits), Ayanda Patosi (Lokeren FC) and Keagan Dolly (Ajax Cape Town
FC).
”When
Morocco invited us to play at the new stadium, we jumped at the opportunity
because of the fact that between now and the 2015 AFCON qualifiers there are
only two FIFA calendar dates to prepare for those qualifiers. So this gives me
a great opportunity to have a look at some players, and had we not taken this
opportunity we would have had to wait for March 2014 to prepare for our first
2015 AFCON qualifier in September. Half of the team I selected will represent
us in the CHAN while the other will feature in the qualfiers, so it’s a
two-pronged approach,” said Igesund.
”We
are playing a very formidable team, and you know North African teams are strong
and will give us a stern test. This is a very serious match for both sides and
there is some rivalry in that in our last match we drew 2-2 in the AFCON
earlier this year – a match that was voted the best of the AFCON tournament.”
Igesund
has not picked any of the Orlando Pirates players as they will be playing in
the semi-final of the CAF Champions League in Tunisia a few days after Bafana
Bafana’s return from Morocco.
”We
seriously had to sit down and look at the Pirates’ situation. We need to
support them in this campaign hence I decided to leave their players out as we
don’t want to jeopadise their preparations in any way,” added the Bafana Bafana
mentor.
”Next
year it will be Kaizer Chiefs, the following year it could be Ajax Cape Town,
or Moroka Swallows or Maritzburg United or any other team and we will do
exactly the same thing. We hope Pirates will be successful. Their
accomplishment will rub off on the national team as it did in 1995 when they
won the continental title and Bafana Bafana lifted the AFCON trophy the
following year.”
The
South African-based players will assemble for camp in Johannesburg on Sunday, 6
October and depart for Morocco on Monday, 7 October.
The
overseas-based players will fly directly to Morocco from their various
destinations.
BAFANA BAFANA vs
MOROCCO
GOALKEEPERS:
Itumeleng Khune (C) (Kaizer Chiefs), Ronwen Williams (SuperSport United),
Darren Keet (KV Kortrijk, Belgium)
DEFENDERS:
Anele Ngcongca (Racing Genk, Belgium), Thabo Nthete (Bloemfontein Celtic),
Bongani Khumalo (Doncaster Rovers, England), Tsepo Masilela (Kaizer Chiefs),
Buhle Mkhwanazi (Tuks), Siyanda Xulu (FC Rostov, Russia), Kgosi Nthle
(Peterborough, England)
MIDFIELDERS:
Kamohelo Mokotjo (PEC Zwolle, Holland), Bongani Zungu (Mamelodi Sundowns),
Sibusiso Vilakazi (Bidvest Wits), Ayanda Patosi (Lokeren, Belgium), Daylon
Claasen (Lech Poznan, Poland), Keagan Dolly (Ajax Cape Town), Dean Furman
(Doncaster Rovers, England), Kagisho Dikgacoi (Crystal Palace, England),
Reneilwe Letsholonyane (Kaizer Chiefs), Lerato Chabangu (Moroka Swallows)
STRIKERS:
Tokelo Rantie (Bournemouth, England), Kermit Erasmus (Orlando Pirates), Bernard
Parker (Kaizer Chiefs)
- SAFA
