2017 Gabon Orange Africa Cup of Nation’s: South African in qualifying match
Crucial fixtures for Bafana Bafana in AFCON qualifiers.
South African and the Indomitable Lions will meet in their first of two legs fixtures on Saturday, 26 March in the crucial back-to-back 2017 Gabon Orange Africa Cup of Nation’s qualifiers.
Bafana Bafana head coach, Ephraim ‘Shakes’ Mashaba announced a 25-player squad of which only 20 players will face Cameroon.
The first match will be played on Saturday at Stade Omnisport de Limbe in Cameroon at 16:30 (SA time) and the return match will be on Tuesday, 29 March at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban. This match kicks-off at 19:00.
South Africa has only lost to Cameroon once, with three wins and three draws to show as their record against their counterparts.
“These two matches are almost a make-or-break situation. If we want to resurrect our campaign, these are the matches that we will have to do well in. I have heard people talking about must-win matches and these are the ones. We have only one point and they have six, and to add salt to the wound, some of our key players are not active in their clubs, have lost form, are out injured or have just returned from injury,” said Mashaba.
Bafana Bafana last played in November when they put up a competitive match and defeated Angola in the 2018 Russia FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
South Africa is in Group M of AFCON qualifiers with Cameroon, Gambia and Mauritania. The winners of the groups progress and the two best-placed runners-up to the 16 nation AFCON finals.
Players from the South are: Itumeleng Khune, Erick Mathoho and William Twala from Kaizer Chiefs and Thabo Matlaba, Mpho Makola and Thamsanqa Gabuza from Orlando Pirates and Cheslyn Jampies from Jomo Cosmos.
