A large crowd will enjoy the Bafana Bafana fixture against Morocco at the FNB Stadium on Saturday.
The match kicks off at 5pm.
And it will be a celebration rather than a do-or-die battle. It makes a pleasant change.
Bafana Bafana have already qualified for AFCON 2024 and are now trying to build momentum under coach Hugo Broos.
“I have been in different Bafana groups. This group is special because we have young players and we have a coach who has experience and everything is just clear. Not that I am trying to criticise the other coaches who were here before, but the fact that now I am more involved makes it easy for me to judge on the experiences I have had with Bafana. I feel more important with this current group,” said defender Siyanda Xulu.
Have booked their spot in Ivory Coast, the defender wants better treatment from the country’s fans.
“We’ve been working so hard in the past two years and I think now we are heading in the right direction. I am just one of a few players who are part of the current team who was also involved in the team that didn’t make it to Afcon last time out [in 2021 under Molefi Ntseki]…I know how it felt and I am quiet happy now that we were able to qualify,” Xulu stated.
“It is really disappointing for South Africans not to really appreciate the kind of work the coach has done in the past two years. As I said, I was part of the group that didn’t qualify two years ago and I remember the hammering, and now I think we did fairly well with a new team but there is no appreciation.”
Broos is expecting two-time CAF Champions League winner Percy Tau to deliver despite the celebrations of his trophy win on the weekend.
“What I know about Percy is that when he comes to the national team he wants to perform but he wasn’t ready to perform one year ago with all the injuries and he also didn’t play as much as he should. When he played, he’d be four, five weeks out injured. And every time when he came to the national team, he’d just returned from an injury, so he wasn’t ready,” the Bafana coach said.
“I said that I hope that one day he leaves Al Ahly and goes to a team where he is going to play because he’s very important for us. A good Percy Tau is very important for Bafana Bafana. So, what I see now in the last few months is a standard player… he’s always playing and he plays well.”
Broos thinks his team will be motivated to overturn the 2-1 loss of the first leg against Morocco.
“I should not be pleased if I have to motivate the players to play against Morocco – then there’s a big problem,” the Belgian said.
“If players are not motivated to play a team like Morocco, then I think it’s better you go home and don’t come to Bafana to play that game.
“This is why you become a professional – to play these games. This is a big game. If you and the team get a positive result, it’s also good for you as a player.
“You must know a lot of people watch these games. It’s interesting to see Morocco, but also to see what the guys of Bafana can do. And that must be enough to motivate the players to play in this game.”
Full Bafana Bafana 23-man squad to face Morocco in AFCON Qualifier:
Goalkeepers: Ronwen Williams (Mamelodi Sundowns), Veli Mothwa (AmaZulu), Ricardo Goss (SuperSport United)
Defenders: Nyiko Mobbie (Sekhukhune United), Thapelo Morena, Aubrey Modiba, Grant Kekana, Mothobi Mvala (all Sundowns), Innocent Maela, Nkosinathi Sibisi (both Orlando Pirates), Siyanda Xulu (Turan Tovus, Azerbaijan)
Midfielders: Luke Le Roux (Varbergs BoIS, Sweden), Njabulo Blom (St Louis City, USA), Sphephelo SIthole (Belenenses, Portugal), Teboho Mokoena (Sundowns)
Forwards: Monnapule Saleng (Pirates), Themba Zwane, Cassius Mailula (both Sundowns), Zakhele Lepasa (SuperSport), Mihlali Mayambela (Aris Limassol, Cyprus), Thapelo Maseko (SuperSport), Bongokuhle Hlongwane (Minnesota, USA), Percy Tau (Al Ahly, Egypt)