Posted in News on Aug 18, 2007.
While Nzama has to travel along way with the senior national team Chiefs reserve goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune will make a shorter trip to Rustenburg, but it will by no means be an unimportant one as he tries to keep his and the nations hopes of playing in next years Olympics very much alive. When the national u-23 team face a tough and very experienced Nigerian u-23 team in the Platinum City on Wednesday evening, in a crucial must win Olympic qualification game.
Nzama ready for Tartan test
The Amakhosi captain believes that it is thanks to the tough competition for places within the Chiefs squad that has allowed him to lift his game to the next level, as well as the help and guidance that he has received in recent times from the Kaizer Chiefs technical team that has allowed him to maintain his place in the national team. Nzama fully intends to repay the faith and confidence shown in him by both Muhsin Ertugral and Carlos Alberto Parreira, by putting in a sterling performance against the Scots currently ranked 20th on the Fifa World rankings in Aberdeen. Nzama said “the Scottish national team have had a renaissance of sorts over the past couple of years, and will definitely ask a number of questions of us. Like them we too are a vastly improved and much more competitive team and we need to play this kind of opposition to help us get stronger, winning the game is possible we just need to focus on doing the job on Wednesday evening”. Nzama was part of the South African team who defeated Scotland in 2002 during the teams only other meeting since South Africa’s re-entry into international football in 1991, and he believes that Bafana’s 2-0 victory on that occasion has given them a slight psychological edge over the Scots.
Khune and Matle for Super eagles
Amakhosi reserve goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune and Chiefs u-19 player Wayne Matle will have to play in probably one of the most important matches of their young career’s, when Amaglug glug host the Nigerian u-23 team in an Olympic qualifier on Wednesday. Khune who harbours hopes of playing in the Olympics in Beijing next year, will need to be at his best against the Nigerians whose strike force will be leady by the striking prowess of Isaac Promise, the free scoring 19 year old Promise plays his football in the Turkcell Super Liga for Gencilbirligi.
With Ethiopia pulling out of the group which also contains Ghana, Amglug glug’s 2-2 draw against the Ethiopians has been rendered null and void which means that Khune and company have the chance to start a fresh, taking three points off the Nigerians who defeated the Ghanaians in their first game will go along way towards shortening the road to Beijing.