A stadium Bafana call home

THE iconic Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban has been offered an opportunity to host another important Bafana Bafana match.

Mabhida was the venue for Bafana’s last match where they succumbed to shocking 2-1 defeat against Cape Verde in their 2018 Fifa World Cup qualifier.

The stadium will next host the Africa Cup of Nations qualifier between Bafana and Libya on March 23. This will be Bafana’s second match of the qualifiers for Cameroon 2019. Their first was the historic 2-0 win over Nigeria, South Africa’s first ever competitive victory over the Super Eagles.

“I can officially confirm that the game between Bafana Bafana and Libya will be played at Moses Mabhida in March,” stadium manager Vusi Mazibuko proudly announced yesterday “We are elated to host another important match of our senior national team. Our aim is to host two Bafana matches per football season. We have already hosted the World Cup qualifier against Cape Verde. Mabhida is all about hosting A category matches. We always strive to host big matches.”

It is safe to say that Mabhida has become Bafana’s homeground.

Stuart Baxter’s team are tied on three points with the north Africans who hammered the Seychelles 5-1 in their opening match.

And with only the top two teams qualify for Cameroon 2019, Bafana will know that the home tie with Libya is a must-win.

The importance of qualifying is elevated by the fact that they missed out on the last edition of the biennial, continental soccer showpiece in Gabon earlier this year. So Bafana cannot afford any slip-ups.