The South Africa Football Association (Safa) have confirmed that the squad announcement for the upcoming crunch 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Libya will be made next week.
With the countdown having begun until Bafana Bafana do battle with the Mediterranian Knights, knowing that anything but a defeat will be enough to ensure Stuart Baxter’s men’s passage into the next round, preparations are expected to get underway soon.
With everyone getting behind the national team, it was previously revealed that the Premier Soccer League (PSL) also agreed to Safa’s request to postpone several games in order to give Bafana the best possible chance against Libya.
The clash is set to take place in Tunisia on March 24 due to the political upheaval in Libya.
Libya have utilised both Egypt and Tunisia as their base in recent times and will battle it out for three points, which would see them leapfrog Bafana and reach Africa’s showpiece event.
Nonetheless, with a place at Egypt 2019 at stake, Bafana coach Baxter is likely to name a strong squad filled with experience and talented players, who are able to get the job done.
Baxter is expected to call up several European-based players which could include Percy tau and Lebo Mothiba, but he is left with a goalkeeping conundrum considering the unavailability of Itumeleng Khune.
This could open the door for any of the PSL’s South African-born keepers to put up their hands and be counted.
Meanwhile, the date and time of Baxter’s squad announcement are yet to be revealed.
