Bafana declare clean bill of health ahead of AFCON start

Bafana Bafana’s injury concerns look to have lifted ahead of their opening Africa Cup of Nations finals Group E clash with Mali on Tuesday.

Mothobi Mvala, Ronwen Williams and Themba Zwane all returned to training this weekend at the Lycee Modern de Korhogo, Bafana’s training venue for the duration of the group stages.

Bafana will play all their Group E matches at the 20 000-seater Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium, in the Northern city of Korhogo, hoping to amass enough points against Mali, Namibia and Tunisia to make it to the last 16.

Mvala was the main injury concern for Bafana ahead of the tournament, but a groin scan encouraged team doctors that he could travel to the Ivory Coast, and the Mamelodi Sundowns defender now looks to be in contention for a place in the starting line-up.

Bafana captain Williams and Zwane also look set to be ready to start against the Eagles tomorrow.

Bafana head coach Hugo Broos declared himself happy with the training facilities provided to Bafana in Korhogo.

“This pitch is wonderful. It’s really good when we have all we need to prepare and these grounds are very good for training,” Broos told Safa media.

Orlando Pirates midfielder Thabang Monare, meanwhile, was one of the more surprising inclusions when Broos named his final Afcon squad.

The 34 year-old has not played for the Buccaneers since November, but was part of the Bafana squad under Broos for the friendlies against Guinea and France in March of 2022, and certainly brings with him plenty of experience, something the Bafana head coach says he needs in his camp for a tournament like this.

No shock for Monare

For Monare, in fact, the call-up did not come as a surprise at all.

“It wasn’t a surprise, because I was in the … preliminary squad and I was looking forward to representing my country, so it didn’t come as a surprise,” said Monare.

“I was ready and willing to be here and represent my country.”

Bafana have faced Mali twice before at an Africa Cup of Nations, with the West African side coming out on top on both occasions.

In 2002, Carlos Queiroz’s Bafana were beaten 2-0 by host nation Mali in the quarterfinals, while Gordon Igesund’s Bafana lost at the same stage when South Africa hosted the competition in 2013, this time losing via a penalty shoot out after a 1-1 draw.

Bafana did manage a win in a friendly against Mali in 2019, a penalty from Dean Furman and a goal from Zwane enough to give Molefi Ntseki’s side a 2-1 victory at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth.