Gabuza carries Bafana hopes
MASINGA RECKONS STRIKER CAN AID BAFANA’S CAUSE
HE may be struggling to get on the score sheet regularly in domestic football, but striker Thamsanqa Gabuza is a player many coaches would want to take to war against any opposition on the continent.
Gabuza, who was Bafana ’ s best player and the scorer of the only goal in a 3-1 defeat to Mauritania in September, will make life difficult for Angola when the countries meet in a 2018 Fifa World Cup first leg qualifier tomorrow.
The match will be played at Ombaka National Stadium in Benguela (4.30pm SA time).
“You can see that he (Gabuza) believes in himself,” former Bafana striker Phil Masinga said.
“He just needs to be in the box and then he should hold the ball when he gets it and make (rest of) the team play.”
As a big striker terrorising the opposition, Masinga knew how to take the pressure off his side by shielding the ball to allow midfielders to make late runs into the box.
“It ’ s very important to have a big striker up front. It helps a lot when the team is under pressure. He can hold the ball and players can feed off him.”
Masinga feels it would be best for Bafana to have Bidvest Wits midfielder Sibusiso Vilakazi playing as a second striker to support Gabuza.
“Vilakazi is the one who can play around him. I am not sure about the match fitness of Tokelo Rantie because he has not been playing.
“Maybe the coach can even play Dino Ndlovu.
“He has been doing well and maybe he can bring his form to the national team.”
Gabuza scored in a 2-1 victory over Angola in Cape Town in June and will be looking to put in another good performance to get a positive result before the second leg tie in Durban on Tuesday.