Bafana’s final chance to win nation’s heart
Bafana will have to pull a rabbit out of a hat if they are to qualify for next year's World Cup, only Senegal stands in their way.
Bafana Bafana face an uphill battle in African giants Senegal as they need to beat them in back to back games in the next six days to qualify for the Fifa World Cup.
Bafana will first host Senegal at Peter Mokaba stadium on Friday night then in Dakar on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, social media was buzzing after SA Football Association (SAFA) announced that Bafana goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune was fit to face “The Tharanga Lions”.
Khune is arguably the most valuable player in the team due to his quality, leadership and experience.
The 30-year-old will no doubt bring calm, stability to the back four. He is also known for his ball distribution which many believe will be key against the Senegalese defenders.
Another player expected to return is captain Thulani Hlatswayo, who missed the Burkina Faso match due to injury.
The Pretoria-based players who made the squad include Themba Zwane, Percy Tau, Tiyane Mabunda, Dean Furman, Clayton Daniels, Ronwen Williams, Morgan Gould and Bradley Grobler.
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Senegal and Bafana have become familiar foes recently having met three times in the past two years.
In 2015, the two sides played to a 1-1 draw in the Africa Cup of Nations. Bafana got the better of Senegal later that year following Mpho Makola’s brilliant free kick in the Nelson Mandela Challenge.
Their last meeting in the second round of the 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign was the controversial 2-1 Bafana win.
That is the game being replayed on Friday after Ghanaian referee Joseph Lamptey was found guilty of match manipulation.
Lamptey gave Bafana a bogus penalty which Thulani Hlatswayo converted to edge Senegal 2-1 last November.
Two months ago, after finding Lamptey guilty, Fifa called for the replay and voided the game meaning Bafana lost the three points leaving them with little chance of qualifying for Russia.
If Bafana can pull through and somehow win the two games, it will probably be the biggest moment for SA football aside from winning the 1996 Afcon and hosting the 2010 World Cup.
A win will not only lift up the players but also regain the fans’ trust which has faded since 2010. And more importantly, it will mean that the team will qualify for a world cup for the first time in 15 years.
Hard at work; @BafanaBafana number one @IIKHUNE_32_16 busy on a workout in prep for Senegal on Friday #ComeShowYourLove pic.twitter.com/MBHClnpflH
— Bafana Bafana (@BafanaBafana) November 8, 2017
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