Botswana clash a chance to develop
BAFANA Bafana coach Stuart Baxter hopes that South Africa can look to the Chan and the hotchpotch of young players not turning out for their clubs and international fringe players he has assembled to compete in it‚ with perspective.
South Africa meet Botswana in Francistown in the first leg of a second round African Nations championship qualifier today and, as is almost guaranteed to be the case‚ Bafana have had issues assembling a squad in the offseason.
Baxter has the tough task of a third Bafana camp in three different competitions with a different group of players.
If the new Bafana coach seemed in his element assembling the cream of South Africa’s players to beat Nigeria for the first time in a competitive game‚ 2-0 in a 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Uyo on June 10‚ he has appeared far less so with developmental lineups at the Cosafa Cup and Chan.
Bafana finished fifth at the Cosafa Cup in the North West this month. They will take a similarly under-strength team – comprising mostly of players who might make what’s vital? Beat them. I don’t care how we beat them‚ I don’t care about development‚ I don’t care if the left-back is going to be a wunderkind.
“No. Let’s just beat them. And in the coming World Cup qualifiers (against Cape Verde in August) it’s the same. It’s about getting a result.
“This one is not vital that we win. We’ve got some of the U20s who we can give some more international experience to. We’ve got some interesting PSL players who’ve been a bit off the radar.
“Someone like Siphelele Ntshangase, let’s have a look at him. Then there are some who you will say are in-between, your Mario Booysens, so you’re not just throwing the younger ones to the wolves.
“So in that way this tournament serves a purpose. But it does definitely go under the development banner.”
Bafana meet Botswana at the 25 000-seater Francistown Stadium‚ some 400 kilometres north of capital Gaborone.
Botswana have appointed a new head coach‚ former Santos and Thanda Royal Zulu boss Major David Bright‚ since Bafana beat the Zebras 2-0 in a physical encounter at Moruleng Stadium 10 days ago. — TimesLIVE