Defending Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) Cup champions Bafana Bafana will play Mozambique in the quarter-finals at the King Zwelithini Stadium in Umlazi in Durban on Wednesday.
Last year, South Africa defeated Senegal in a penalty shootout.
Bafana Bafana is also planning to give some game time to their Under-23 players ahead of the Olympic Games qualifiers in September.
Bafana Bafana coach Helman Mkhalele says midfielder Ethan Brooks will not be part of the starting line-up on Wednesday when the team takes on Mozambique in the quarter-finals of the Hollywoodbets COSAFA Cup.
The Amazulu Football Club player is nursing a minor injury. But Mkhalele says despite Brooks’ injury, all other players are available for selection in their meeting against the Mambas.
“For now at this stage of our preparations, especially at the last stage of our preparations, I’m so happy to announce that the whole squad is back except Ethna Brooks. So everyone is available because he sustained a minor knee injury that we are nursing hope that in the next game after our game against Mozambique.”
Mkhalele has selected a squad to play in the COSAFA Cup, which consists mainly of under 23 players.
The team consists of 22 locally-based players, with Katlego Mashigo of Portadown in Ireland the only exception.
Mkhelele says the reason behind them choosing young players in the squad is to create a pool of players for under 23, as they will be playing the Olympic qualifiers in September.
“We decided to go with the younger players as well to make sure that, you know for the Olympics. The Olympics team is not playing any games and this is the opportunity to make sure that we find the balance by making sure that we have players that will help us qualify for the Olympics and even some of them also playing for Bafana Bafana when we play the qualifiers for Afcon 2024.
What will make this game more interesting, is that Mozambique will be coming out because we beat them in the semi-final in the last edition of COSAFA. They will try by all means to go out there and try to reverse the score.”
Despite Bafana Bafana’s poor performances previously in the World Cup qualifiers, fans are still confident that the team will turn a corner.
Thembinkosi Yalo says: “I am saying Bafana Bafana will win by one goal to nil.”
Langalakhe Memela says: It looks like there’s hope there because these young players, they still want to showcase their talent.”
The City is appealing to fans to turn out to support the home side. Tickets to all the games are free.
