Full strength Bafana team to take on Brazil
Bafana will play with a full strength team against Brazil at an international friendly match.
JOHANNESBURG – A full strength squad has been announced by the Head Coach of Bafana Bafana, Gordon Igesund, to take on the world class team of Brazil.
The 23-man squad will play host to 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil in an international friendly match scheduled for Wednesday March 5.
The kick-off time is 19:00 at FNB Stadium.
“We are excited about the match against FIFA World Cup 2010 host country, South Africa, since we also have the symbolic handover of the torch for our country (Brazil), who will be representing the FIFA World Cup in 2014,” said a representative of Brazil’s Embassy in South Africa, Mr Antonion Franca.
“We are happy to play a team of this calibre and we want to do well against them. We also wish them luck in the World Cup and know that they are under immense pressure to perform well,” said Igesund.
“It is a fantastic opportunity for the team to meet Brazil in a friendly and we will do our best to win.”
“We will be approaching the match the same way we played against Spain. I said to the team that they must enjoy playing against a world class team and do well.”
According to Igesund the Bafana squad is more or less the same who played against Spain, and that this time around he could select the best players available for the match against Brazil. Brazil will feature in their penultimate friendly before the all-important 2014 FIFA World Cup will be staged in their country.
Brazil will be playing in their well known yellow jerseys and blue shorts and socks in the first half and then appear in their all blue outfits, which they will also wear at the 2014 FIF World Cup in Brazil.
Players from the South in the Bafana squad feature Itumeleng Khune the captain, Siphiwe Tshabalala, Bernard Parker from Kaizer Chiefs and from Orlando Pirates, Thabo and Matlaba, Oupa Manyisa.
Brazil Squad: Goalkeeper: Julio Cesar (QPR/ENG), Defenders: Thiago Silva (Paris SG/FRA),David Luiz (Chelsea/ENG), Dante (Bayern Munich/GER), Dani Alves (FC Barcelona/ESP), Rafinha (Bayern Munich/GER), Marcelo (Real Madrid/ESP).Midfielders: Paulinho (Tottenham/ENG), Fernandinho (Manchester City/ENG), Luiz Gustavo (Wolfsburg/GER), Ramires (Chelsea/ENG), Oscar (Chelsea/ENG),Willian (Chelsea/ENG). Strikers: Neymar (Barcelona/ESP),Hulk (Zenit St Petersburg/RUS), Bernard (Shakhtar Donetsk/UKR).
Tickets for this match are already on sale at Computicket, Shoprite, Checkers and Shoprite/Checkers stores countrywide.
They are going for R50 for the top tier; R200 for the middle tier and R100 for the bottom tier.
