Pienaar encourages Bafana to go all out

Former Bafana Bafana player, Steven Pienaar says the SA national football team should go all out and win their back-to-back Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers against Seychelles starting with Saturday’s match at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg.

Pienaar, who had an illustrious career playing in Europe and captaining Bafana Bafana, believes it’s important for football in the country that the national squad qualifies for major tournaments.

Bafana Bafana would’ve been top of Group E of the qualifiers had they won against lowly-ranked Libya in September. But, because of the dull draw, the group is now wide open.

Getting maximum points in the two matches against the islanders will improve the South African’s chances of qualifying for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations tournament.

“Back-to-back games against Seychelles it’s two must win games. We saw when we played against Libya they came out here and played a really good game we didn’t expect that.”

Bafana Bafana last qualified for a major tournament four years ago, beating Sudan 2-1 at the Moses Mabhida Stadium to secure qualification to the 2015 Afcon tournament.

Before then, the team had failed to qualify for the 2012 Afcon tournament and had missed out on three World Cup finals since qualifying for the 2002 FIFA World Cup — hosted in South Korea and Japan.

“It’s massive the guys have to just go all and make sure no matter how they going to get the three points its important for the country to qualify for big tournaments.”

Pienaar, who travels between South Africa to see his mother and England, where he lives with his family, took time out to spend time with learners at a school of children with special needs.

The 36-year old, who was born and raised in Westbury, says he has always wanted to spend time with the learners of the school in Greymont whom he feels are marginalised.

Both the learners and educators were excited to spend time with their idol.

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