Bafana Bafana's newbie, Zakhele Lepasa, has confirmed that he is ready for the COSAFA Cup, ahead of the South African national team's match this coming weekend.
The Orlando Pirates player, who finished the 2018/19 season with TS Galaxy in the NFD, has admitted to having been nervous when he was called up to the national team, though he seems to have managed his emotions while in camp with the team.
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Lepasa is currently with the Bafana squad in Durban and preparing for the team's opening match of the 2019 COSAFA Cup on Sunday.
"I believe I have an eye for goals, and as much as I was very nervous to join Bafana Bafana, I am managing the load very well. I want to be the answer to the national crisis we have had when it comes to converting the many chances we create. We have had two training sessions, which have gone better than I expected, and I am happy at how well the players in the camp have received me," Lepasa told SAFA's official website.
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Having contributed to TS Galaxy's hard-fought Nedbank Cup triumph of the 2018/19 season, and helped the team to qualify for the CAF Confederations Cup, Lepasa was chosen as the Nedbank Cup Player of the Tournament at the PSL's annual end-of-season awards.
"I am a living testimony that football is an amazing life lesson which shows how quickly life can change. Since winning the Nedbank Cup I am recognized everywhere we go. This is a great honour for me, and I hope to play a part in ensuring that Bafana Bafana do well in the COSAFA Cup," concluded Lepasa.
Bafana are scheduled to play their quarter-final COSAFA Cup match against Botswana at the Princess Magogo Stadium on Sunday at 15h00.
