PSL clubs help out Baxter with Cosafa

NEW SPIRIT OF CO-OPERATION WITH PSL

Stuart Baxter has hailed a new spirit of co-operation between the national team and Premier Soccer League clubs, who he says have “bent over backwards” to help with players for the Cosafa Castle Cup. AfricanSouth championshipAfrica defend trophy,their Southern starting with a quarter-final match at the Royal Bafokeng Sport Palace on Sunday against the winner of Group A, which is being contested this week and is likely to be either Angola or Tanzania. But with the competition being played outside the co-ordinated FIFA calendar, and essentially in the off-season, Baxter has had to scramble to find players to fill a 23-man squad. He has taken a smattering from the squad that went to recent U-20 World Cup in South Korea and combined them with talent from the PSL, able to convince fellow coaches to help. Most PSL clubs are back in training this week to prepare for the new season and would seek to have all their players together. But Cape Town City, Kaizer Chiefs and SuperSport United have all come to the rescue by allowing a single or pair of players to join up with the national team. “They have been really helpful. I had to do a lot of calling around, but I’m really grateful for the assistance,” Baxter said. That means there is a decent mix of talent to give the team a chance to win the tournament being hosted in the North West Province with the like of Lorenzo Gordinho, Aubrey Ngoma, Mario Booysen and Judas Moseamedi participating. Mandla Masango, however, has pulled out at the last moment. next Baxter month will whento scroungeSouth Africa around take againon Botswana over two legs in the African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifiers. It will be the first game towards January’s tournament in Kenya, reserved for national teams made up only of home-based players only.