Baxter to mix it up for 5th place tie
Bafana hope for big Cosafa Cup finish
they will beat AS Vita, who they beat in Kinshasa. Vilakazi was one of the scorers at the Stade des Martyrs.
AS Vita also have nothing to play for since they can’t reach the last eight, but Vilakazi insisted they are a difficult side.
If Sundowns win the group they will face the runners-up from Group D and, as things stand, it is Morocco’s Wydad Casablanca. And if they finish second, they will face the winners of Group D. Zanaco top the group at the moment.
Vilakazi, though, said that was not their main concern. Sundowns, he said, were focused on winning against Vita.
See Page 30 Stuart Baxter will look to mix and match when he decides on his team for today’s plate final at the Cosafa Castle Cup as his make-shift Bafana Bafana side takes on Namibia at the Moruleng Stadium (kick off 5pm) to decide fifth and sixth place at the tournament.
Baxter tried his strongest selection last Sunday when the defending champions made their entry into this year’s edition at the quarterfinal stage against guest team Tanzania. SA lost 1-0 in a disappointing game. On Tuesday‚ for the plate semifinal‚ Baxter made eight changes and introduced a swath of younger players and saw them go on to beat Botswana 2-0.
“In terms of the physical part of the game‚ they [the young players] pitched up. They didn’t throw in the towel‚ they kept on battling‚” said the coach.
“There were issues with technical skills and decisionmaking. There were a lot of poor decisions.”
Today, Lesotho and Tanzania clash in the Cosafa Cup’s third place play-off at Moruleng.
The final on Sunday, between Zambia and Zimbabwe, will be at the Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace at 3pm.