|
Safa 'snailwagon' has moved
03/07/2007 20:00 - (SA)
Johannesburg - Two months after coach Carlos Alberto Parreira announced Bafana Bafana would be playing valuable friendly international games against world champions Italy, Scotland and recent Concacaf Cup winners United States, the Safa "snailwagon" caught up with the news and confirmed the fixtures on Tuesday.
Bafana will take on Scotland in Scotland on August 22; the high-profiled clash against Italy will be played in Italy on October 17, while the United States game is earmarked as the annual Nelson Mandela Challenge on home territory on November 17.
Coincidentally, it would seem, both Italy and the United States will be coming to South Africa in 2009 as early qualifiers for Fifa's eight-nation Confederations Cup - a warm-up event for the 2010 World Cup.
"The Association has acted swiftly on Carlos Parreira's proposals, which were endorsed by the national executive," said Safa CEO Raymond Hack, "and have secured matches with teams of the calibre of Italy, Scotland and the United States."
Swiftly by Safa standards can therefore be equated as "two months later", with an away game against Saudi Arabia on September 13 in the pipeline - and Bafana's immediate programme of international friendlies also including a game against Mozambique at home on January 13.
Safa's international Board has also approved Cape Town as the venue for the African Nations Cup qualifier against Zambia on September 8 or 9, with the game forming part of Caf's 50th anniversary celebrations.
In addition, a Bafana line-up, consisting mainly of South African-based players, will compete in the semi-final stages of Southern Africa's Cosafa Cup.
- SAPA
|
