Photo Credit - South Africa Football Association (SAFA).
Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has revealed his fears ahead of the eagerly awaited top-of-the-table Betway Premiership clash between Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns at FNB Stadium on Sunday.
The two South African giants will face off for the second round fixture of the league, with Sundowns having won the first round meeting 4-1. The fixture is crucial for both teams as they are chasing for the league title this season.
While Sundowns are leading the 16 team table with 58 points, Pirates are following in second position 18 points behind, but they still have four matches to play. However, the fixture comes at a time when South Africa national team Bafana Bafana is preparing for their crucial World Cup qualifying fixtures against Lesotho and Benin.
Broos has already named his final squad for the two qualifiers with players from Pirates and Sundowns making the cut. The Belgian coach has now kept his fingers crossed hoping that no player will pick an injury from the showdown.
“I hope that nothing happens in that game; it is an important game for Sundowns and it is also important for Pirates. I think if Pirates lose that game, it will be the end for them in the championship, so it is a very important game and it will be intense for both sides,” Broos said as quoted by SABC Sport. “Let's pray that there won't be any injuries.”
Explaining the omission of TS Galaxy defender Khulumani Ndamane, Broos said: “Ndamane from Galaxy was with the team, but he doesn't have a passport. I had the chairman [Tim Sukazi] saying last week that I have to take more players from Galaxy. I want to take them, but they don't have passports.
“I'm very sorry about that and it is not the first time [with Pule Mmodi before], I think we have to look at solutions to make a list of 40 players and send it to the club to assist them if there will be a call-up, these players need to have a passport.
“Ndamane, I think he still has to go to the embassy and then it will only be next week before he can get a passport and then he doesn't have a visa to go to Ivory Coast. It's impossible, but those guys are losing a cap or selection in the national team because they don't have a passport.
“We announced the preliminaries two weeks ago, they know they are on that list and if you don't have a passport go and get one.”
South Africa will host Lesotho at Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane, Limpopo, on March 21, and then travel to Cote d’Ivoire to face Benin on March 25. The Beninese will host Bafana in Ivory Coast after their home grounds were deemed unsuitable for international matches.
Bafana will report for residential camp on Monday, March 17, and then travel to Polokwane on the same day. After hosting Lesotho, Broos and his charges will travel to Abidjan the next day on a charter flight to face Benin and return to South Africa on March 26.
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