Ndlovu out to show his worth after recall to squad
Former skipper prefers Gould and Madisha at heart of defence Striker expected to reproduce club form
The defensive frailties of Bafana Bafana are a cause for concern for former national team captain Lucas Radebe, with the team on the verge of a stunning 2018 World Cup qualifying implosion.
The South Africans have faltered on what should have been a negotiable path to next year’s World Cup in Russia.
Bafana will need three points against Burkina Faso at FNB Stadium on Saturday (3pm) to stand any chance of fighting their way back into qualification contention in Group D.
Head coach Stuart Baxter will be forced to play an unpreferred central defensive pairing with Erick Mathoho suspended, while Thulani Hlatshwayo and Rivaldo Coetzee are out injured.
“The central back pairing will be the most crucial for Bafana. If the two do not have an understanding then it will cause problems,” Radebe told Ex-Man U star The jury is still out whether Bafana Bafana striker Dino Ndlovu is the real deal. Ndlovu, 27, is part of coach Stuart Baxter’s squad to face Burkina Faso in a 2018 World Cup qualifier at FNB Stadium on Saturday (3pm). Based on his career statistics, the Klerksdorp-born marksman averages a goal every third game, which is not a bad return. The trouble is he struggled to get the goals during his PSL days with Mamelodi Sundowns, Bloemfontein Celtic, SuperSport United and
Rio Ferdinand
Mpumalanga Black Aces, but actually did well at clubs abroad.
Ndlovu currently plays for Azerbaijan side Qarabag, which campaign in the Uefa Champions League. He has other stints in Israel and Cyprus.
Initially, it appeared he wasn’t in Baxter’s plans after the latter questioned the standard of the Azerbaijan Premier League.
Baxter, however, has had a change of heart after Ndlovu’s showing against Chelsea and AS Roma in recent Champions League matches.
Ndlovu said he respected Baxter’s view on the Azerbaijan league and that he believes his performance convinced him to include him in the squad.
“I respected the coach’s statement when he raised that the day he was hired as the national team coach,” he recalled.
“But at the end of the day, we play football, whether I play in Azerbaijan or Mozambique. I think playing in the Champions League and that we had a decent conversation on the phone where the coach [explained] how I would fit in the team,” said Ndlovu.
The player insisted that he wasn’t despondent for not being called up and continued to work hard to prove his worth.
“For me, you never give up, whether you get called up or not, you need to perform at club level. If I were to get angry because ‘they are not calling me in the national team’, then I’m burning bridges for myself.” ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●