Bafana eager to bow out with dignity

BAFANA Bafana may be out of the running to qualify for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon, but they do not want to end their campaign with another humiliating result against Mauritania in Group M.

Bafana were left shell-shocked by their 3-1 defeat to the Mauritanians in Nouakchott last year and will face the same team in their final group match at Mbombela Stadium on Friday (7.05pm).

Punished by the Mauritanians last time round, Bafana are now eager to settle the score and finish the campaign with a good result they can use to build on, according to defender Thulani Hlatshwayo.

Hlatshwayo is back in the national team after recovering from a hip injury which kept him out of Bafana’s last qualifier against Gambia. He also missed the defeat to Mauritania last year.

Hlatshwayo is likely to play a big role as a senior defender, with Rivaldo Coetzee and Mulomowandau Mathoho both out due to injuries.

“It feels good to be back in the Bafana team. As you know I got injured towards the end of last season. [But] the coach has kept faith in me by selecting me before we even play the first games of the new season,” said Hlatshwayo.

“I wasn’t there [in Mauritania]. I watched the game and I saw what happened. They are a skilful side and we need to be careful. We need to be focused this time round.”

Bafana coach Shakes Mashaba has included quite a few under-23 players who were participating at the Olympics in Rio. All of Gift Motupa, Abbubaker Mobara, Aubrey Modiba, Deolin Mekoa and Thapelo Morena will be hoping to impress the coach, so that they can form part of the Bafana team for the upcoming 2018 World Cup qualifiers.”