Mokoena returns as Bafana capt
2006-05-02 20:09
Johannesburg - Blackburn Rovers defender
Aaron Mokoena will captain South Africa again after refusing to
play at the African Nations Cup finals in Egypt earlier this
year, caretaker coach Pitso Mosimane said on Tuesday.
Mokoena pulled out of the squad for the tournament in
January after he was replaced as captain by previous coach Ted
Dumitru.
He said he had refused to play under the veteran Romanian
because of the way he was replaced as captain in a vote
instituted by the coach before Mokoena had had a chance to join
up with his teammates in early January.
Mosimane said he had persuaded Mokoena to make a return for
the side in the Cosafa Cup mini-tournament in Botswana
later this month.
"I have spoken at length to him ands he has agreed that he'd
like to come back and play," Mosimane told Reuters.
Mosimane is to finalise his squad for the tournament on
Friday but said he was delighted at Mokoena's agreement to play.
"He has the experience and he is still a key figure for our
team in the future," he said.
South Africa, who host the 2010 World Cup finals, lost all
three of their matches at the Nations Cup finals and play for
the first time since the tournament in a friendly against
Lesotho in Maseru on May 10.
Mosimane said the match would serve as a warm-up for the
tournament in Botswana, part of the annual southern African
championship.
South Africa play Swaziland in Gaborone on May 20 and will
compete again the next day against either Botswana or
Madagascar.
Mokoena, 25, has won 55 caps for his country, 14 of them as
captain. Mosimane takes charge of the side for the first time on
May 10 but has been installed as caretaker only until the
selection of a permanent coach for the 2010 World Cup, due to be
made in the next few months.