Smiso Msomi
Bafana Bafana winger Oswin Appollis insists he and his teammates are more than capable of winning matches without the star duo of captain Ronwen Williams and Percy Tau.
Appollis and Co will battle South Sudan at the Juba National Stadium today in a 3pm kick-off with ambitions of securing a valuable three points. The South African men’s senior national football side’s temperament will be put to the test as they finalise preparations ahead of their second group stage match in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Speaking ahead of the match, Appollis said that even though the two men are valuable to the team, the group head coach Hugo Broos has at his disposal is potent enough to put opponents to the sword.
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“The group we have at the moment is a very strong group, everyone is capable of doing things for the national team and there’s a reason why they’re chosen for the national team,” he said.
“Here and there (you can maybe say we miss) Ronwen and Tau but the group we have is capable of getting three points.”
The 24-year-old midfielder, Thalente Mbatha, came off the bench to rescue a point for Bafana at the Orlando Stadium.
A total of 24 teams will qualify for the 2025 Afcon in Morocco meaning both first and second place will guarantee participation but head coach Hugo Broos is not expected to take risks with his side.
The bullish Belgian-born mentor has been very clear about his targets to have the nation qualify for every major competition during his tenure and with his contract running out in 2026, the next Afcon and 2026 World Cup are next on his priority list.
The absence of captain and regular number one Williams has placed Bafana in a precarious position after stand-in Veli Mothwa’s horrendous mistakes last time out.
The jury is out on whether Broos will opt for the in-form Sipho Chaine of Orlando Pirates or whether he will place his faith in the experienced palms of SuperSport United’s Ricardo Goss.
“We will try to find a solution on Tuesday ... and certainly not starting to doubt this one or that one but you can be sure there will be changes in the team, that’s for sure,'” Broos said after the Uganda clash.
Although not known to succumb to any forces, Broos is also expected to make calls on whether to throw 19-year-old Relebohile Mofokeng into the starting line-up after his impressive 17-minute cameo against the Cranes.
Mofokeng and his Pirates teammate Mbatha offered Bafana a different dimension after coming on and have certainly given the experienced boss food for thought.
Bafana are currently on a confidence-boosting six-game unbeaten run after encounters with the likes of Algeria and Nigeria in recent months.
Broos and his men have also lost two, won six and drawn four of the past 12 games they’ve played, going back to the Africa Cup of Nations in January.