Baxter hopes for no injuries
DOUBTS ABOUT KEY PLAYERS
Stuart Baxter will be waiting nervously for both Mamelodi Sundowns and SuperSport United to complete their African club competition assignments over the weekend and hope that there will be no injury casualties before he assembles his Bafana Bafana squad for the trip to Nigeria.
Already players like Hlompho Kekana and Tiyani Mabunda are doubtful for Sundowns’ African Champions League assignment against Tunisia’s Esperance on Friday. And SuperSport’s two Bafana squad members, Dean Furman and Ronwen Williams, are expected to travel to the Democratic Republic of Congo for Sunday’s Confederation Cup clash against holders TP Mazembe Englebert.
Baxter, who has said he needs “warriors” for the African Nations Cup assignment in Uyo on 10 June, will be particularly concerned about potentially losing the likes of hard-tackling Furman, Kekana and Mabunda.
The South African Football Association had to make an embarrassing correction to the squad on Friday after they calledup Kamohelo Mokotjo only to discover belatedly what reporters already knew that the Dutch-based midfielder was undergoing a post-season operation. Lebogang Phiri has been called up in his place.
Rivaldo Coetzee of Ajax Cape Town missed the last game of the season for Ajax Cape Town on Saturday, when they went down to Baroka FC, after failing to recover from a hamstring strain.
But the Ajax coach Stanley Menzo said it was only a precautionary measure.
“Had the game been one or two days later he would have played. I think he’ll be OK for the Bafana match, but that is up to the national team coach to decide,” he added.
South Africa’s foreign-based contingent have all also completed their club commitments with Bongani Zungu the last to end his season after scoring for Vitoria Guimaraes in the Portuguese Cup final on Sunday.