Fresh Bafana line up for Zambia friendly
Baxter eager to rotate team in tomorrow’s tie
Bafana Bafana coach Stuart Baxter said he will field a fresh team of players who did not play against Nigeria in tomorrow’s international friendly against Zambia in Rustenburg (7pm).
Bafana players worked their socks off. They adapted to Baxter’s game plan for a fine, first competitive victory against Nigeria, with a 2-0 win in Saturday’s 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Uyo.
Tokelo Rantie (56th minute) and substitute Percy Tau (80th minute) scored, and there could have been more goals, with Themba Zwane hitting the upright twice.
After gruelling travel and a bruising game, Baxter said he is likely to rest everyone who was fielded against the Super Eagles, and might call a few extra young players into his squad to meet Zambia.
The coach said he had to keep some of his players’ feet on the ground after their victory.
“We can get carried away as we want. This was a good performance. But the players are asking me, ‘How good can this team be?’
“And I’m like, ‘Hey, don’t let
‘‘ I want to play everybody who didn’t play’
it go to your head’.
“And if it had been a poorer performance I wouldn’t let it go to my heart because I know that we had prepared as well as we could under difficult circumstances.
“I think I want to play everybody who didn’t play (in the Zambia game). I think we’ve got to play all the kids.
“I may even pull one or two kids into the squad and a few players who had a battering now, let them go.
“But I think it’s a performance against Nigeria that gives great hope.”
Bafana’s opening win against Nigeria left them in second place in Group E on goal difference to Libya, who thrashed Seychelles 5-1.