Mbatha, Mofokeng raise hands for Juba test
HERMAN GIBBS
Bafana Bafana gaffer Hugo Broos will opt for match-fit players when selecting his team to play South Sudan in tomorrow’s Africa Cup of Nations Group K qualifier clash in Juba.
After Bafana were surprisingly held to a 2-2 draw by the visiting Uganda on Friday in Orlando, Broos said there will be changes to the team to play in Sudan.
This was primarily because of the below-par performance of goalkeeper Veli Mothwa, who last played a competitive match in May, at the end of last season. It’s a match Mothwa will want to have erased from memory because he let in two soft goals.
The outcome of Tuesday’s match is something most people expect to be a foregone conclusion. South Sudan, Africa’s newest country, are one of the weakest teams in the competition. The only real match-fit players in the Bafana Bafana squad are the MTN8 and CAF pan-African players, some of them having played at least five matches since the start of the season.
Bafana Bafana have just landed in Juba International Airport, South Sudan. #BafanaPride #AFCONQualifier pic.twitter.com/0nJ90d862B
— Bafana Bafana (@BafanaBafana) September 8, 2024
As it turned out, the Pirates players made a big impact on the match against Uganda, and Broos may decide to load the team with Buccaneers, starting with the greenhorns Thalente Mbatha and Relebohile Mofokeng.
Pirates midfielder Mbatha made his debut in the final 15 minutes against the Cranes. He was rewarded for his cameo livewire performance with Bafana’s face-saving goal two minutes from the end. He has a strong case to be included in the starting XI.
His teammate Mofokeng also has claims to a berth in the run-on XI, after replacing Themba Zwane 16 minutes from the end. The 19-year-old Mofokeng is a player for the future and offers so much by way of enterprising footwork and skills, that the Sudan defence could be in for a nightmare.
The other Pirates player that must be in the starting XI is goalkeeper Sipho Chaine. After Veli Mothwa’s nightmare performance at Orlando, Chaine selects himself.
Against Uganda, Broos made two substitutions which did not seem warranted because both players had made meaningful contributions up to the time they were replaced. Oswin Appollis, the Polokwane City attacker, made a few probing runs down the right channel and made occasional crosses into the strike zone.
Zwane was also workmanlike and constantly probed the opposition defence. He was taken off at a time when Bafana Bafana were fighting for an equaliser and he has a knack of scoring when half-chances beckon.
The team will also contend with adverse conditions since the South Africans have had little playing time on artificial pitches like the one in Juba for Tuesday’s match.
Danny Jordaan, the Safa president, said the artificial Juba Stadium pitch is also a small one.
“It won’t be easy there in Juba. Firstly, they’ll play on an artificial pitch, and secondly, it’s a small pitch,” said Jordaan. “The home team South Sudan know their ability to play there, it’s their home.
“We had chances in the match against Uganda and didn’t take it. That match is now part of our history, and we must move and go off to South Sudan.”
Jordaan said the team fought bravely against Uganda after suffering a double setback and he was confident the team will bounce back in East Africa.
“It was a stressful game against Uganda, but our players showed the tenacity and strength to fight back. There is a great determination to continue to have positive results,” said Jordaan.