Freetown foray for Chiefs quartet
Freetown foray for Chiefs quartet

Posted in News on Sep 30, 2010.

Bafana Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane has selected four Chiefs players in his 22 man squad to face Sierra Leone in a Group G Africa Cup of Nations qualifying game to be played in Freetown on October 10.



The four Chiefs players Itumeleng Khune, Reneilwe Letsholonyane, Siphiwe Tshabalala and Sthembiso Ngcobo who have been called up by Mosimane were part of the Bafana team that were selected for the opening qualifying game against Niger, which South Africa won 2-0 in Nelspruit on the 4th of September.



The trip to Freetown is not going to be an easy one for Bafana and the South African Football Association has sent a team in advance to inspect the conditions, “we sent a delegation that includes our acting team manager Mr. Kujane there to view the situation.



We will leave here on a charter flight out of Johannesburg and hope to be there in the day time next Friday the 8th of October, because their airport is on an island you need to take a ferry to get to the main land so we want to do this trip in day light” explained SAFA COE Leslie Sedibe.



While Bafana Bafana will face many conditions they will not normally encounter and will need to be mentally strong, coach Pitso Mosimane believes his team will be able to cope with the conditions they will encounter in Freetown.



“We have experienced players who have played in these kinds of conditions before we are going to Freetown not looking for any excuses but to win, sometimes you have to face extreme conditions to test yourselves.”

Amakhosi goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune did travel to Freetown previously for an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier for the 2010 Nations Cup in June 2008, which Bafaana Bafana lost so he will be aware of what kinds of conditions to expect during the trip to Sierra Leone and will have added motivation to want to return with a win this time out.



Bafana Bafana will get together on Monday 4th October at the Monte Casino Complex in Four-Ways in Johannesburg and will train at the Hyde Park High School in the Northern Johannesburg Suburb of Hyde Park prior to their departure.

They will return to South Africa immediately after the game on the 10th of October.



Bafana Bafana Squad to face Sierra Leone:



Goalkeepers: Itumeleng Khune (Kaizer Chiefs), Moeneeb Josephs (Orlando Pirates), Darren Keet (BIDVest Wits)



Defenders: Siboniso Gaxa (Lierse SK, Bel), Innocent Mdledle (Mamelodi Sundowns), Morgan Gould (SuperSport United), Aaron Mokoena (Portsmouth, Eng), Siyabonga Sangweni (Golden Arrows), Tsepo Masilela (Maccabi Haifa, Isr), Bongani Khumalo (SuperSport United)



Midfielders: Steven Pienaar (Everton, Eng), Siphiwe Tshabalala (South Africa), Thanduyise Khuboni (Golden Arrows), Macbeth Sibaya (Rubin Kazan, Rus), Reneilwe Letsholonyane (Kaizer Chiefs), Andile Jali (Orlando Pirates), Teko Modise (Orlando Pirates)



Strikers: Sthembiso Ngcobo (Kaizer Chiefs), Surprise Morir (Mamelodi Sundowns), Katlego Mphela (Mamelodi Sundowns), Bernard Parker (FC Twente, Ned)

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