Bafana Bafana captain, Thulani Hlatshwayo revealed that it is important that the team upholds their fighting mentality against Libya, as they did with Nigeria last year.
“We just have to make sure that we display our performances that we do with the bigger countries and I think it is a mentality that we have to work on as players. The coach gives us the same team talk as he gives us against Nigeria,” Hlatshwayo said in the media.
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Bafana secured a 2-0 win over Nigeria last year in the opening encounter of the 2019 Africa Cup Of Nations qualifiers, this following Stuart Baxter’s appointment at the helm.
Since his arrival at the national team last year, May 2017, Head Coach Baxter was tasked with getting his first competitive win and done so with a 2-0 victory over Nigeria in June last year.
The English head coach has since been rotating his Bafana squads for different fixtures, having recently suffered disappointing results in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying rounds and has now an almost new-look Bafana side, as he approaches his next AFCON qualifying fixture.
However, Soccer Laduma takes a look at who featured in the encounter against Nigeria last year and whether they have been included in the team this time around.
Here’s how Bafana lined-up:
Itumeleng Khune, Ramahlwe Mphahlele, Erick Mathoho, Thulani Hlatshwayo, Tebogo Langerman, Bongani Zungu, Dean Furman, Keagan Dolly, Sibusiso Vilakazi, Themba Zwane, Tokelo Rantie.
Bench: Darren Keet, Lorenzo Gordinho, Andile Jali, Tiyani Mabunda, Lebogang Manyama, Abbubaker Mobara.
Tokelo Rantie and Percy Tau came off the bench on the day and scored Bafana’s two goals in the game.
Baxter may have most of the same players at his disposal this weekend, although, Mathoho, Rantie, Langerman, Zungu and Rantie, who started for Bafana on the day, have not been included in the head coach’s setup this time around.
Bafana will welcome Libya to the Moses Mabhida Stadium tomorrow, September 08, at 15h00, in their second Africa Cup Of Nations qualifier.
How would you like to see Bafana line-up tomorrow? Let us know in the comments section below.