‘Bafana will do well in Afcon’
Maela confident after tough draw
Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana left-back Innocent Maela is optimistic SA will excel at the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) that runs from June 21 to July 19 in Egypt. Bafana learnt their group phase opponents during the tournament’s draw in Cairo on Friday. SA are in Group D alongside neighbours Namibia, Ivory Coast and Morocco. “The belief is high. I am confident the team will go there [to] Egypt and do well. We are not scared of anyone, but we also understand the importance of preparations,” said Maela. “It’s a tough group, but it is very important also to understand that Bafana, the team … are in a very good space. We really have a good technical team, they always prepare the team very well.” During the qualifiers, Maela, 26, was mainly deputising for Bidvest Wits’ Sifiso Hlanti at left-back. But strangely, Bafana coach Stuart Baxter simultaneously threw the pair into the starting XI in the last pool match against Libya last month when SA confirmed their spot in the finals by winning 2-1 away. Having guided Uganda to the Gabon finals in 2017, their first Afcon appearance in nearly two decades, Pirates coach Milutin Sredojevic has backed his charge, Maela, to make the final Bafana squad to do duty in Egypt.
“I hope with today’s performance [their 2-1 win over Free State Stars on Saturday, where Maela was voted man of the match], he has booked the stamp … he’s a huge candidate, he has bought a ticket to Cairo,” said Sredojevic. “He still has three tickets [Pirates’ three last league matches] to buy and then it’s a complete ticket direct to Cairo.”