Molefi NtsekiBackpagepix

Bafana Bafana coach Ntseki: Qualification will produce a big celebration for all

Bafana Bafana coach Molefi Ntseki is hopeful the challenges his team have faced have made the group stronger.

Ntseki's job has been made all the more difficult by the omission of a number of key players through injury and also through some being unable to travel to South Africa or Sudan due to concerns from their clubs over the Covid-19 virus.

Among the players Ntseki has had to do without are Bongani Zungu, Thulani Serero, Keagan Dolly, Dean Furman, Kermit Erasmus, Bradley Grobler and Thembinkosi Lorch.

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In addition, Andile Jali was injured in Thursday's draw with the Black Stars in Soweto and will not be available for the match against the Sudanese.

But the Bafana boss believes the difficulties have brought his players together.

“I might not be the best philosopher but they always say if you are faced with a storm, you can’t turn and take the direction of the storm. At times you need to be very strong so that the storm will be over,” said Ntseki, as quoted by IOL.

“I think with all the challenges that came in since I took over, the xenophobia, Covid-19 and players that have been denied permission to join us for camp, it has made us very strong. It has made the whole team believe in each and every one. ”

While a win over Ghana would have been a big boost going into Sunday's match, it would not have automatically qualified them.

Nteski remains optimistic that his group of players are on track towards qualification.

“If things continue like this, it means we are going to qualify for the Afcon finals," he said. "The qualification will be a big celebration for all of us. The players and everyone want to better the position that we had in the last Afcon in Egypt.”

Ntseki was referring to Bafana's most recent showing at the Africa Cup of Nations - in 2019 they reached the quarter-finals in Egypt, before bowing out to Nigeria in a 2-1 defeat.

The last time Bafana reached the semi-finals was in 2000, when they lost 2-0 to Nigeria.

Before that, South Africa won it in 1996 by beating Tunisia in the final (in what was their first appearance in the tournament) and were losing finalists in 1998, against Egypt.

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