Igesund bemoans team’s trip to Poland next month

THE Bafana trip to Poland next month is one coach Gordon Igesund would have traded for African opposition.

But the visit to Bydgoszcz, where South Africa will play the White Eagles on October 12, was arranged before Igesund was appointed Bafana coach.

Igesund revealed his feelings about the team’s next game after South Africa’s 2-0 win against Mozambique on Tuesday night in Nelspruit.

The coach wants a challenge closer to home to measure his team against Africa’s finest as he prepares for next year’s Nations Cup where Bafana have a mandate to reach at least the semifinals.

“The Poland game is there, the commitment has been made, but we will wait for the [Nations Cup] draw and approach teams that are not in our group to try to play one or two friendly games,” Igesund said.

The draw to determine the group stages for the Nations Cup is scheduled for October 26 in Durban.

“Playing a team like Zambia, Ghana or Nigeria is very different compared to Poland. I can’t give out dates right now, but Safa are working hard to get African opposition as practice for the Nations Cup,” he said.

Before then, Igesund will use the clash against Poland to keep introducing new faces to the team as seen with Dean Furman and Dino Ndlovu.

“I’ve got two players who were born in South Africa and are playing in Europe. I can’t reveal their names yet, but they have agreed to play for Bafana and I will be looking to call those guys up, just to have a look,” he said.