Bafana must seize their chances in new season

Making the cut for Afcon 2019 should be top of agenda

postponement qualifiers.

The window is now open for friendly matches and were the South African Football Association as efficient as they like to portray themselves‚ they would be offering Bafana’s services as a scrimmage opponent for those World Cup-bound countries who have been drawn in the same group with an African country at the tournament.

Argentina‚ Belgium‚ Croatia‚ England‚ Iceland‚ Portugal‚ Russia‚ Spain and Uruguay must all be in the market but many of them have already fixed themselves up with March friendlies.

The old adage of “you snooze‚ you lose” springs to mind.

In May‚ the Cosafa Castle Cup will be played at the end of the Premier Soccer League season and could afford Baxter the opportunity to pick a decent strength squad rather than the rag-tag group that usually goes to the annual southern African Championship.

The venue for the tournament is still to be determined.

March’s postponed Nations Cup qualifier against Libya is now to be played in September followed a month later by home and away games against the tiny Seychelles.

Then South Africa will take on Nigeria at home on November 18 by which time they will have hoped to have ensured their place at the 2019 finals.

The Nations Cup have been increased in size which means that the top two finishers from each of the 12 qualifying group advance to the finals tournament. — DDC of the Nations Cup