Polokwane - South African Football Association (Safa) President Danny Jordaan has urged Bafana Bafana coach Shakes Mashaba to pick the best line-up for the must-win 2018 World Cup qualifier against Senegal at the Peter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
He was at the national team’s final training session at the match venue on Friday morning, one that took place under a heavy downpour of rain, and told the gathered reporters that the current Safa leadership were determined to see Bafana at the global showpiece in Russia. Bafana are in Group D along with favourites Senegal, Burkina Faso, a side they played to a 1-1 draw with in Ouagadougou last month, and Cape Verde.
Jordaan said: “It’s an important week for all the countries with aspirations to go to the World Cup. If we win we get to be in the driving seat, but not yet at our destination.
"I had a discussion with the coach and talked to him about the importance of this game and looking at anything and everywhere to find what he considers to be the best available players for this country and he can field against Senegal.
"This weekend is going to be decisive, not just for South Africa, but also for Ghana, who face Egypt in Alexandria and have just one point.”
Mashaba: "I will announce the @BafanaBafana starting line-up tonight. I've been impressed with that I've seen this week."
— Mazola J. Molefe (@superjourno) November 11, 2016
It was Jordaan who sparked rumours that Mashaba would be sacked ahead of the start of this road to Russia when he was visibly annoyed with Bafana’s dull 1-1 stalemate against Mauritania in a dead-rubber Afcon qualifier in September.
South Africa will miss out on the continental tournament in Gabon early next year.
Speaking in a TV interview, the Safa president slammed the team’s performance, saying it would not be nearly enough to get Bafana to the World Cup.
He said he expects a positive result on Saturday afternoon.
“It will be our second match and there is four more to go, but we definitely need a good outcome. Shakes has done what is necessary to look at resources and all of the issues to make sure we have a team that can compete,” Jordaan said.
SAFA President Dr Danny Jordaan addressing the players ahead of tomorrow's match against Senegal pic.twitter.com/rmmdx4jMIr
— Bafana Bafana (@BafanaBafana) November 11, 2016
“History also shows we have also performed against Senegal (Bafana have beaten their West African counterparts once in seven matches, four ending in draws with two defeats in between). We played the off part at the 2015 Afcon, took the lead and we made a few blunders to allow them to equalise. There is no margin for errors in these matches.”
Kick-off on Saturday is at 3pm.
@superjourno
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Independent Media