THE TIME IS NOW

ROAD TO MOROCCO: BAFANA ON VERGE OF QUALIFYING FOR 2025 AFCON SHOWPIECE SHOULD THEY EMERGE VICTORIOUS IN BRAZZAVILLE

By Sports Reporter

As you read this, Bafana Bafana will be on their way to Gqeberha, eastern Cape, in preparation for their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifies against Congo Brazzaville  pencilled for Friday, October 11, 7pm.

 The 23-member squad assembled in Johannesburg on Saturday before embarking on their sojourn which will see them travel to Congo  to play the return match on Tuesday, October 15, 2024, allowing the team to enter the active phase of their preparation.

 Looking ahead to the matches against Congo, coach Hugo Broos said he was concerned by the number of goals that his charges concede during matches.

 “Those things have got to change, that has to change” he said.

 “You can’t concede two or three goals in almost every game and have to score three or four goals to win a game. We have to restore that.”

 Bafana Bafana’s destiny to qualify for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations tournament is still firmly in their own hands. They didn’t have a good start against Uganda at the Orlando Stadium in Soweto in the opening qualifying match, when they drew 2-all.

 But they bounced back, winning 3-2 against South Sudan a few days later. Broos says the permutations are very simple going forward. If they win their next two matches against Congo Brazzaville, they will qualify for next year’s AFCON tournament in Morocco.

 An added boost to Bafana  Bafana is the availability of captain and keeper Ronwen Williams, back after he missed the first two qualifiers due to injury. Broos fielded AmaZulu keeper Veli Mothwa against Uganda in the first match but opted for debutant Sipho Chaine of Orlando Pirates away to South Sudan.

 Further bringing a smile on the face of the Bafana Bafana coach is the fact that the PSL has agreed to his request because there are no competitive games, with only the MTN8 final so only the players of Pirates and Stellenbosch are playing on Saturday.

 “So, for me, that was the reason why I asked to start already the camp on Saturday so that we can come together on Saturday. We fly on Sunday morning and we can train on Sunday afternoon,” he said.

 After facing Congo in Gqeberha next Friday, Bafana Bafana will travel to Brazzaville for the return fixture four days later.

 The qualifying campaign will then resume in November, with a match in Uganda before one at home against South Sudan.