No favours for Bafana
2005-12-28 21:35
Johannesburg - Bafana Bafana have been warned that they can expect no favours
from the PSL XI when they clash in the first of two training matches at the Johannesburg
Stadium on Thursday at 18:00.
The games are being used to help new national coach Ted Dumitru prepare his
squad to play in next month's African Nations Cup finals in Egypt. The second match will be
played in Durban on January 6.
Golden Arrows coach Khabo Zondo, together with his Orlando Pirates counterpart Kosta Papic,
have been placed in charge of the PSL XI and are taking their temporary jobs seriously.
Said Zondo on Wednesday: "The aim of these two games is to make sure we help Bafana get ready
for the Nations Cup in Egypt. We would be failing not just the players but the whole nation if
we did not put our heart and soul into these two games. We aim to make the new Bafana players work very hard."
Zondo was rocked when nine players who were rejected by Dumitru for the Bafana squad
failed to arrive in camp for the two friendly matches. The rejected players were told that playing
Carrot did not work
for the PSL team in the two training games would give them a last
chance of convincing Dumitru to select them for the continental showpiece.
But that carrot did not work and the players decided to take their Christmas break.
Only two defenders, Ajax Cape Town's George Mofokeng and Benoni Premier United's Tsepo
Maselela arrived on schedule, while Bloemfontein Celtic midfielder Siyabonga Nkosi pitched up
on Tuesday.
"This is very important for the national team and our duty is to make sure that every player
that we send onto the pitch will do a good job. My biggest headache is whom to leave out as all
the players are looking sharp at training," said Zondo.
The match will give Dumitru an insight to the fitness of Greece-based defender Pierre Issa who
has not been playing for his club due to a contractual problem.
The two games gives Nkosi, plus the two Mamelodi Sundowns strikers Sandile Ndlovu and
Surprise Moriri a chance of booking their ticket to Egypt.
Bafana are at full strength, apart from captain Aaron Mokoena, who is on duty with his English
club Blackburn Rovers and Portugal-based striker Benni McCarthy, who is on compasionate
leave.
- Daily Sun