Bafana Bafana will release nine members of their 28-man squad after the Nelson Mandela Challenge game against Nigeria. The other 19 players will remain with the national team to take on Burkina Faso in the Nelson Mandela Sport and Culture Day on Saturday, 17 November, at FNB Stadium. A statement from SAFA explained, “Nine players will be released from the squad after the first match – six Orlando Pirates players and three from overseas and will not be available for the second match against Burkina Faso. “Pirates have a CAF Champions League fixture on the same day that Bafana Bafana is playing, while the overseas-based players return to their clubs as the Burkina Faso clash does not fall under the FIFA calendar.” Meanwhile, head coach Gordon Igesund explained that he has named a ‘bloated’ squad for this reason. In the statement he said, “There is not much we can do, that is why we called a bloated squad to cover for the departure of the nine players. We can’t lose sight of the fact that we are playing this match for the greatest statesman that has ever lived, Madiba. Moreover, these are two formidable teams we are going to face. “If you look at Nigeria, they have very good players and most of them play overseas, which shows this is not going to be an easy match. But at the same time it is a good challenge for our players having to face the two sides. It gives us great preparation for our crucial Brazil 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Botswana next month.” The players that will leave the squad following the encounter with Nigeria are Senzo Meyiwa, Thabo Matlaba, Oupa Manyisa, Andile Jali, Thandani Ntshumayelo, Daine Klate, Dean Furman, Tokelo Rantie and Anele Ngcongca.
Posted on: Tue, 06 Aug 2013 10:30:09 +0000
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