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Despite the withdrawal of seven players who were called up for South Africa’s African Nations Championship camp, coach David Notoane remains positive that whoever plays will deliver the desired results for the country.
The Bafana Bafana team, which is made up of mostly Under-23 players, will play the championship qualifiers, which serve as preparation for the Olympic Games qualifier against Zimbabwe in early September.
On Friday, the team flew to Lesotho, where they will play against the Mountain Kingdom in the first leg at Setsoto Stadium this afternoon in a 2pm kick-off.
The return leg will be played next Sunday in Johannesburg at a venue that is still to be confirmed.
The winner of the two-legged fixture will progress to the third and final round, with the first and second legs taking place from September 20.
The squad consists of a lot of debutants, including Onyedikachi Ononogbu (Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila), Banele Sibisi (Bloemfontein Celtic), Siboniso Conco (Golden Arrows), Bongokuhle Hlongwane (Maritzburg United), Nyiko Mobbie (Mamelodi Sundowns) and Khuliso Mudau (Black Leopards).
Notoane is confident that the boys will not disappoint.
“We are keen to qualify for the championship finals,” he said.
“The event is in January and to get there would be great as we could use the tournament as part of our programme to prepare for the Olympic Games [if South Africa qualifies].”
The players are also pumped up and they have vowed to grab this opportunity with both hands.
Midfield sensation Ononogbu (21), who hails from Kempton Park, says he wants to shine for the national team to ensure that this is not the last time he’s called up.
“I’ve been dreaming of this opportunity and now that it has finally arrived, I must make it count. The plan is to make an impression while playing for the team. Remember, it is all about the team, not about individual players,” said the star.
Former Celtic MultiChoice Diski Challenge captain Shadrack Kobedi says he is grateful for the opportunity.
“We are going to fight as a team and qualify for the next round of the tournament,” said a confident Kobedi.
