Late replacements want to prove point
BAFANA Bafana coach Shakes Mashaba is not the only one holding out for a spot in next year’s African Nations Championship (Chan).
Fringe players Wandisile Letlabika, William Twala and Thabo Mnyamane were yesterday soaking up all the attention following their inclusion in Bafana’s trip to Mauritius this weekend for the second leg of their Chan qualifier.
Speaking shortly after training, Letlabika, who was called up as a late replacement on the eve of the first leg in Johannesburg two weeks ago, said: “I’ve worked with coach Shakes before and I am used to him. For me this has been a smooth transition from my club to the national team because we worked together at under-23 level. And the coach has always been a father figure to me.”
The Bloemfontein Celtic defender is aware that he is merely plugging the gap after Mashaba was left with no choice but to widen the pool in his search for available players. Letlabika, along with Twala and Mnyamane, replaced more regular players who would not have been allowed by Premier League clubs to be involved with Bafana outside the Fifa calendar.
The Chan competition is only meant for players playing in the domestic league. “It’s important for me to represent my country and to see the national team progress in this campaign. I think long-term I also want to grab one or two matches in other qualifiers,” said Letlabika, who made his debut against Mauritius in the first leg, a 3-0 win for Bafana.
Mnyamane also returned to the Bafana fold on Sunday when striker Vuyisile Wana was forced to withdraw because of a knee injury. The AmaTuks forward became only the third player to score on his national team debut when South Africa beat Swaziland 3-1 in a friendly match four months ago.
“The selection depends on the coach, but as a player you always want to grab your chance,” said Mnyamane, who was playing in the Varsity Football tournament two seasons ago before being picked up AmaTuks.
“It’s important not to undermine Mauritius, but we’ve got goals in us and aren’t just going there to put in a mediocre performance.”