Bafana look to hit Cape Verde for six

FULL POINTS IN HOME AND AWAY GAMES CRUCIAL Keeper poser for Baxter as Keet and Khune are doubtful for qualifiers.

Bafana Bafana captain Thulani Hlatshwayo is well aware of the importance of grabbing all six points when South Africa take on Cape Verde in two 2018 Fifa World Cup qualifiers at the start of September.

South Africa will play in Cape Verde’s capital Praia on September 1, before the two sides face off in Durban on September 5.

Bafana are in a decent position after their first two games in Group D, having drawn in Burkina Faso and beaten Senegal at home, leaving them in second place, trailing the Burkinabe on goal difference.

With only the group winners qualifying for Russia 2018, however, Stuart Baxter’s side really need to beat the group’s bottom side twice to put themselves in a strong position heading into their final two qualifiers, at home to Burkina Faso and away to Senegal.

“I think we know as players how important both games are and how important it is to get six points,” said Hlatshwayo, who was named permanent Bafana captain by Baxter earlier this year.

Cape Verde, like Angola and Guinea-Bissau, is a former Portuguese colony and use a number of Portugal-based players in their squad.

“We know the kind of players they have and it is important to get a good result, first away and then coming back home, to put us in a good position in the standings. Burkina Faso have to play Senegal (home and away) and in our last games Burkina Faso come here and we go to Senegal away.

“We know what happened when they (Senegal) came here, so it is important for us to get good results before we go there,” added Hlatshwayo, presumably in reference to Bafana’s controversial 2-1 win over Senegal in Polokwane last November, which has subsequently seen Ghanaian referee Joseph Lamptey banned for life by Fifa.

There was talk that Fifa could even order a replay of that match, but that has died down of late.

Baxter, meanwhile, has goalkeeping trouble ahead of the Cape Verde matches with Darren Keet ruled out with a knee injury and Itumeleng Khune suffering from a chest infection.

It means that Ronwen Williams could be the only available keeper in the original squad.

Picture: Gallo Images MAXIMUM. Earning six points against Cape Verde will be crucial to Bafana Bafana’s World Cup qualifying campaign, believes captain Thulani Hlatshwayo.