DOWN THAT ROAD BEFORE
Bafana Bafana coach Stuart Baxter will plump for experience in the African Nations Cup qualifier against Nigeria with Itumeleng Khune set to captain the team again.
Itumeleng Khune is again set to lead Bafana Bafana when Stuart Baxter unveils his squad for the upcoming African Nations Cup qualifier against Nigeria on Thursday. The new Bafana Bafana coach says he is turning to experience when he calls up the players, who will go to West Africa for a tough start to the country’s bid for a place in the 2019 African Nations Cup finals. Khune and Dean Furman, who is likely to be vice-captain, are the only players that Baxter has confirmed will be going, but in choosing the pair he already has a combined caps tally of 121 caps in the squad. Khune will earn his 83rd cap in the Group E match in Uyo on 10 June, while Furman will make his 40th appearance in the space of less than five years. Baxter says he will not be sticking with the Vision 2022 plan, which his predecessor Ephraim “Shakes” Mashaba rigidly prescribed to at the beginning of his tenure but later abandoned when results went against him. It saw players aged 28 and over cut from the squad as emphasis was put on building a team for the future. Mashaba also brought in unheralded youngsters for experience, but also dropped that idea after time. Baxter says he will not be sticking to those ideals for the moment. “I think it is a good document but we need to be practical at this time,” he told TAB SPORTS Express. Baxter admits he will be underprepared for the match. He has not had time to put together spies to go and watch the Nigerians, who play Corsica on Friday and then Togo on 1 June in preparation for their meeting with South Africa. “I will get a DVD of the games and deconstruct it. I’ve been trying to learn as much as I can, but have not had time to put together visits to those games,” he added. The new Bafana coach is also asking clubs to release players from Sunday for a training camp. “Letters have gone out to ask for players whose season is finished to come and work with the squad.” Baxter’s first month in charge is complicated by the conclusion of his time at SuperSport United. He takes charge of his last league game on Saturday and then the Nedbank Cup final on 24 June.