Khune calls for Bafana Bafana support
Itumeleng Khune believes Bafana Bafana's players need to start believing more in their own abilities, as they bid to revive their flagging 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign against Burkina Faso at FNB Stadium on Saturday.
Itumeleng Khune (Sydney Mahlangu/ BackpagePix)
Stuart Baxter’s side badly need to bounce back from devastating home and away defeats to Cape Verde in September.
This was further compounded by Fifa’s decision to order a replay of their referee-manipulated home “victory” over Senegal. That game is set to be replayed in November.
All this leaves Bafana with just one point from three Group D qualifiers, and in need of a minor miracle to make it to Russia.
“It is up to us to get a positive result on Saturday so that we can get the full support of the country,” said Khune.
“When the results don’t come we don’t blame them (the public) for being hard on us, we have to deliver. We know the importance of qualifying for the World Cup, we haven’t done it since the class of 1998 (actually 2002). The crop of players we have are talented, but they don’t realise it, they have to be reminded of it, it is about time we realise how talented we are … we need to move forward.”
Khune has been suffering from a slight shoulder injury, but says he will be fit on Saturday to captain the side in the absence of Thulani Hlatshwayo – the Bidvest Wits central defender is out with a knee injury.
READ: Khune declares himself fit for Bafana duty
Bafana trained at an empty FNB Stadium, which may well not be much more full come kick-off this weekend. Ticket sales, often poor in Johannesburg, have been abysmal this time with the public clearly losing faith in the national side.
Stadium Management CEO Jacques Grobbelaar confirmed to The Citizen early yesterday afternoon that only 300 tickets had been sold.
“It is very disappointing,” admitted Grobbelaar, adding that marketing plans were in place with both Stadium Management and the South African Football Association to try and get more people to buy tickets.
Tickets for the Bafana game have already been reduced from R100 to R50 in an attempt to encourage fans to attend both this game and the Soweto derby between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates on October 21.
READ: Bafana game in ticket sale crisis
