Baxter pins hope on Keet in Khune’s absence
Keet excelled for Bafana in Tunisia against Libya in March, as they qualified for the 2019 Afcon, and is likely to continue as South Africa's No 1 custodian in Egypt.
Darren Keet during the South African national men’s soccer team training session at Steyn City School. (Photo by Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images)
Bafana Bafana coach Stuart Baxter believes Darren Keet will be in shape to play for his country at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, even though the goalkeeper is currently on the sidelines at his club Bidvest Wits.
Baxter has, however, said he will allow Keet to play in the Cosafa Cup, to be played in Durban between May 25 and June 8, if the keeper feels it is necessary ahead of the Afcon finals, which start in Egypt on June 21.
Keet excelled for Bafana in Tunisia against Libya in March, as they qualified for the 2019 Afcon, and is likely to continue as South Africa’s No 1 custodian in Egypt, as Itumeleng Khune has been ruled out of the finals with a shoulder injury.
The 29-year-old, however, has not played for the Clever Boys since the end of March, as he has not, up to now, been willing to sign a new contract at the club. Gavin Hunt has been fielding Ricardo Goss between the poles for Wits instead.
“I was at Wits this week speaking to Darren and Gavin Hunt, and I am not that concerned,” said Baxter.
“If it was a centreback or a striker I would be concerned because what goes on in the legs or muscle cells of a striker can only be replicated on the field of play. Everything a goalkeeper goes through in a match he does in training.
“The sharpness is there, he doesn’t get sharper with a game. I have said to Darren that if you tell me you are a bit nervous because you haven’t played, and only you can tell me that, maybe in the Cosafa Cup you should play a couple of games and get back up to speed.
“But for me, a goalkeeper should be as sharp in training as he is in a game. If you can’t look back at the Tunisia camp and the game against Libya and remember how well you played, then your confidence is quite brittle.
“So for me it shouldn’t be a problem, if Darren looks at it in the correct way, but I don’t know how he is as a person, maybe he says ‘I need to be playing, I need to play one more game’. Then maybe we include him in Cosafa.
“It isn’t a perfect situation (Keet being on the sidelines), but I understand all parties and it isn’t an easy one.”
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