Bafana Bafana, the South African national football team, can breathe a sigh of relief as their injury concerns seem to have lifted ahead of their opening Africa Cup of Nations finals Group E clash with Mali on Tuesday.
Key players Mothobi Mvala, Ronwen Williams, and Themba Zwane have all returned to training this weekend at the Lycee Modern de Korhogo, which serves as Bafana’s training venue for the group stages.
Bafana will be playing all their Group E matches at the 20,000-seater Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium in the Northern city of Korhogo. They hope to amass enough points against Mali, Namibia, and Tunisia to secure a spot in the last 16 of the tournament.
[ Breathtaking Opening Ceremony Sets The Stage For Afcon In Ivory Coast ]
Mvala, the main injury concern for Bafana ahead of the tournament, underwent a groin scan that encouraged team doctors, indicating that he could travel to the Ivory Coast.
The Mamelodi Sundowns defender now appears to be in contention for a place in the starting line-up. Bafana captain Williams and Zwane also seem set to be ready to start against the Eagles tomorrow.
Bafana’s head coach, Hugo Broos, expressed his satisfaction with the training facilities provided in Korhogo. He praised the wonderful pitch and the overall conditions that allowed the team to prepare adequately for their matches. The quality of the training grounds has been a crucial factor in Bafana’s preparation for the tournament.
One of the more surprising inclusions in Broos’ final Afcon squad was Thabang Monare, a midfielder from Orlando Pirates. Despite not having played for the Buccaneers since November, Monare was part of the Bafana squad under Broos for the friendlies against Guinea and France in March 2022.
The 34-year-old brings a wealth of experience to the team, something that the Bafana head coach believes is essential for a tournament of this magnitude.
For Monare, the call-up did not come as a surprise at all. Having been in the preliminary squad, he eagerly looked forward to representing his country. His readiness and willingness to be part of the team demonstrate his dedication to representing South Africa on the international stage.
In their previous encounters with Mali at the Africa Cup of Nations, the South African national team has faced defeat. In 2002, Carlos Queiroz’s Bafana suffered a 2-0 loss to the host nation Mali in the quarterfinals.
Similarly, Gordon Igesund’s Bafana was eliminated at the same stage when South Africa hosted the competition in 2013, losing in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw.
However, Bafana did manage to secure a victory against Mali in a friendly match in 2019, with a penalty from Dean Furman and a goal from Zwane securing a 2-1 win at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth.
Catch up with the latest news from The Times Post on WhatsApp by following our channel. Click here to join.
