Five things to look out for when Bafana play Zambia

Molefi Ntseki’s Bafana Bafana will play Chipolopolo on Sunday in their second international friendly in the space of a few days at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Phokeng. We look at five things to look out for in the build up to the match, which is Bafana’s last before the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers kick off next month.

The return of Andile Jali

Andile Jali is back in the Bafana squad. Pic: Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix

Andile Jali is undoubtedly one of South Africa’s best midfielders of the 2010s, an Energiser Bunny of a footballer who on his day can control play from the middle of the park like no one else in the Bafana set-up. Jali hasn’t played for South Africa in almost three years, however, a poor run of form at Mamelodi Sundowns and injuries getting in his way, as well as the delay to international football caused by coronavirus. Jali’s form this season for Sundowns was enough to see him called up by Molefi Ntseki to the squad in March, just before international football was postponed. Against Zambia, he now has a chance to show he should not yet be lost to international football. At 30 years old, indeed, there is every chance that Jali could still feature for Bafana at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations or the 2022 Fifa World Cup, if they qualify.

‘Micho’ back on SA shores

Milutin Sredojevic. Pic: Sydney Mahlangu/ BackpagePix

Milutin Sredojevic’s departure from Orlando Pirates in the early weeks of the 2019/20 season was sudden and startling, with an allegation of sexual assault swirling around the Serbian coach as he left Pirates to take up a post at Cairo giants Zamalek. Will Sredojevic be dramatically arrested upon landing at OR Tambo International Airport with a Chipolopolo side he took charge of in early 2020? It seems highly unlikely that ‘Micho’ would come back to SA without assurances to the contrary, but it is still a depressing addition to his time here, with his accuser claiming to the Sowetan in January that she had given up on the justice system. On the field, this is another important game for Sredojevic and his side as they build up to their own bid to qualify for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations. Before Sredoejvic took over, Zambia got off to the worst possible start to their qualifying campaign, hammered 5-0 in Algeria and losing 2-1 at home to Zimbabwe.

Can Keet challenge for Bafana’s number one jersey?

Darren Keet and Ronwen Williams. Pic: Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix

Darren Keet has never really had a hold on the first-choice goalkeeper jersey with the national team, with his only real shot at it when he was selected by Shakes Mashaba in the starting line-up for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations finals opener against Algeria. A bad mistake in that game, even though he did reasonably well overall, saw Keet dropped by Mashaba for the next match, and while he did play in the 1-0 win over Namibia at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations finals, Ronwen Williams has leaped ahead of the OH Leuven man in the pecking order. Keet has, at least, had some gametime with Leuven this season, and could make one last push for a regular place in Ntseki’s team, with a good display against Zambia.

The wizards Zwane and Tau in tandem

Percy Tau and Themba Zwane could spark Bafana against Zambia. Pic: Gavin Barker/BackpagePix

While Luther Singh did pretty well for Bafana against Namibia on Thursday, there was no doubt Bafana missed the mercurial talents of South Africa’s best overseas-based player, Percy Tau, and their best locally-based player, Themba Zwane. Both are. likely to return to the starting line-up for the Zambia game and should add a touch more composure for Bafana in the final third. Zwane is likely to win the Footballer of the Season Award, and his flick to set up Gaston Sirino for the vital winner against Kaizer Chiefs in September has to be the moment of the 2019/20 season. Tau, meanwhile, has been in good form for Anderlecht in Belgium and the pair are used to working together, having been teammates at Sundowns for several seasons.

Another chance for the kids ahead of Tokyo 2021

Luther Singh scored Bafana’s goal against Namibia. Pic: Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix

Molefi Ntseki has done well to bring in some of Bafana’s Under-23 players for these friendlies, with South Africa set to compete in the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021. The likes of Teboho Mokoena, Lyle Foster and Singh are only likely to benefit from this kind of international experience, and it remains to be seen which of the youngsters gets another chance to shine against Zambia. Singh certainly did his chances no harm with the goal against Namibia, while Mokoena should get a chance to stake his claim for a permanent central midfield role with the senior side.

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