South Africa

South Africa Duo Preparing For UEFA Champions League With Maccabi Haifa

Bafana Bafana players Thembinkosi Fanteni and Tsepo Masilela will leave South Africa this evening to join their Maccabi Haifa team-mates in Austria in preparation for the UEFA Champions League.

Jul 3, 2009 2:40:38 PM

FIFA Confederations Cup: Bernard Parker, South Africa - New Zealand (PA)

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FIFA Confederations Cup: Bernard Parker, South Africa - New Zealand (PA)

Teams

Maccabi Haifa

Players

Thembinkosi Fanteni

Maccabi Haifa has been in Austria since June 15 but Fanteni and Masilela will only join their team-mates this weekend after playing for Bafana Bafana in the recent FIFA Confederations Cup.

The Israel side has two more weeks left before a crucial UEFA Champions League preliminary stages match against Northern Irish side Glentoran.

The first leg will be played in Israel on July 15 followed by the second leg in Belfast on July 22. The league campaign will only start in August.

“We only had one week of rest after playing in the Confederations Cup and now it’s back to work again,” said Fanteni to Kickoff.com.

“The Champions League is important and it’s important for us to make it into the group stages. But I’m sure Tsepo and I won’t struggle with fitness because it’s not like we were not training while other team-mates were in Austria.”

Last season Fanteni started the season well but lost his form between December and April, when he scored only one goal in 14 matches. But the player bounced back with six goals in his last nine matches, however, his goals were not enough to help his team win the Israel State Cup, in which Maccabi lost 2-1 to Beitar Jerusalem in the final.

Overall, Fanteni scored 11 goals in 30 matches for the Haifa-based side last season. “Last season wasn’t so bad, but I went through a spell where I didn’t get enough chances to score and then things started to work in my favour towards the end,” the player said.

“It’s not like I was getting chances and missed them – I wasn’t getting chances at all and that was frustrating. But I’m glad that I have put that behind me.

“The Confederations Cup was a great experience for me but I didn’t get into top form. But if Bafana can get these types [Spain and Brazil] of opponents, then surely we can all improve.”

After Fanteni’s disappointing display in the Confederations Cup, there was talks that Ajax Cape Town might swap their troubled striker Mabhuti Khenyeza, with Fanteni returning in Cape Town. But Fanteni dismissed the rumours as untrue.

“There is nothing like that. As I’m talking to you I’m getting ready to go to the airport and take the next flight to Austria," he said.

“This is an important season for me because it’s the season before the World Cup. I need to prepare myself properly so that I can have a good season.”

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