Respect for Senegal – Baxter picks a solid and balanced Bafana squad
RED-HOT: Sharks flyhalf Curwin Bosch will be the key for his team in the Currie Cup final against Western Province at Kings Park tomorrow. BAFANA Bafana coach Stuart Baxter (pictured) had to measure his comments about Senegal carefully yesterday when he named a 26-man squad to face the West Africans in back-to-back win or bust qualifiers for next year’s World Cup in Russia.
The Lions of Terenga, boasting incredible individual players such as Liverpool’s Sadio Mane, have both admirers and critics. Those who love Senegal believe coach Aliou Cisse’s men are Africa’s best chance of a potentially remarkable World Cup appearance should they hold on to their top of Group D place in the qualification phase, while the fault-finders claim this team blows hot and cold and are perennial underachievers as shown in several of the previous Africa Cup of Nations tournaments.
“I don’t want to create a whip that they can use on their players before they go out against us, like we don’t think they are anything special and all of that,” said Baxter. “Undoubtedly, they have got the who’s who of European football in that team. They have got some fine players, undoubtedly. Experience in the past is that maybe when you have that many good players it is more difficult to turn them into a team. And because of that I don’t think they will be 100 percent happy with the way the campaign has gone.”
The Bafana coach has picked a solid and balanced squad in trying to make sure Bafana have both match winners and influential players alike in order to beat Senegal twice and reach the World Cup next year.
Baxter even had a welcomed surprise yesterday with his selection of Kaizer Chiefs veteran midfielder Siphiwe Tshabalala, the 33-year-old who last kicked a ball for Bafana four years ago when the national team beat Spain 1-0 at the FNB Stadium.
He also retained Morgan Gould and Clayton Daniels at centreback even with the return from injury and suspension of captain Thulani Hlatshwayo and Mulomowandau Mathoho. Baxter has also selected Andile Jali and Bongani Zungu, although they are both suspended. Jali will return for the second game, while Zungu faces a hearing with Fifa to determine whether his red card against Burkina Faso for violent conduct means he will serve an extended ban or not.
“I saw two very tight games against Burkina Faso (in September) after we got caned for not beating Cape Verde away. Senegal were very close to getting beaten by Cape Verde, and I dare say if they had a man sent off they probably would have been beaten,” said Baxter. “But you also saw in that game that they also have individuals that can turn the game. So we will have the utmost respect for them.”
Itumeleng Khune, Wayne Sandilands, Ronwen Williams
Thamsanqa Mkhize, Clayton Daniels, Erick Mathoho, Motjeka Madisha, Morgan Gould, Thulani Hlatshwayo, Tebogo Langerman, Sifiso Hlanti
Hlompho Kekana, Dean Furman, Keagan Dolly, Andile Jali, Kamohelo Mokotjo, Sibusiso Vilakazi, Themba Zwane, Bongani Zungu, Thulani Serero, Phakamani Mahlambi, Lebogang Manyama, Siphiwe Tshabalala
Percy Tau, Bradley Grobler, Dino Ndlovu AS A PLAYER Robert du Preez was ultra-competitive, as a coach he is possibly more so, and on the eve of the Currie Cup final between the Sharks and Western Province, the 54-year-old refreshingly cut through the hype and hot air that will always accompany a major sporting event.
How are the Sharks are going to play? Have they anything special up their sleeves for a Province team that caught them off guard three weeks ago in Durban? Do the Sharks kick too much (they kicked more than any other team in three months of pool play)?
The taciturn coach mustered a wry grin before explaining how it will be for the Sharks: “Look too much is made of ball-in-hand rugby (or any particular brand). We want to play winning rugby. If that means we have to kick the ball a lot, we will do that.
We can do both
“This year we have played to our strengths, which is our pack of forwards. Having said that, our backs have on many occasions done well for us with ball in hand. So we can do both, and it comes down to what the situation requires,” Du Preez said forthrightly.
In short, Du Preez does not want to have a pigeon-holed style of play.
“We want to build a way of playing that suits the Sharks and it does not happen overnight.
“We are not a New Zealand rugby team, we are a South African team, and we want to play a South African brand of rugby.”
Du Preez’s Sharks have led the Currie Cup from the front this season, evolving their way of playing, and it has come down to the same key elements.
Uncompromising forward play and winning the gain line battle to provide the backs with opportunities to play what is in front of them – be that flyhalf Curwin Bosch spreading the ball or probing for territory with the boot.