Dark horse status in Bafana’s favour

The midfielder is coming off a fine season in the English Championship with Brentford, and has now also cemented his place in Stuart Baxter’s Bafana side.

That the 28-year-old is heading to his first Afcon does seem like a bit of a travesty of justice, and he will now hope to show exactly what he can do on the grandest of continental stages.
“We know that most of us are going to an Africa Cup of Nations for the first time,” said Mokotjo yesterday.

“For some, it might be our last time. But we will focus on the here and now and our goal is to go there [to Egypt] and go as far as possible in the tournament.

“If we are underestimated it is probably to our advantage, we know how well we can play.”

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Mokotjo sat out yesterday’s training session at Steyn City School but that was purely a precautionary measure from Bafana’s coaching staff.

“I am just feeling a bit stiff, the camp will be long and sometimes you have to pace yourself. The staff decided to protect me a bit and I am grateful for that.”

Bafana have not yet managed to organise a friendly on home soil before they leave the country next Monday, and so are likely to play an internal training game on Saturday, with Baxter set to announce his final 23-man squad for the Afcon on Sunday.

Bafana will then fly to Dubai where they will play a friendly against Ghana on June 15, and will then continue on to Egypt, where they will face Angola in a friendly on June 19.

Baxter, meanwhile, was unwilling to comment on whether this is his biggest stage as a coach – in 2003, he qualified Bafana for the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations, but resigned before he could take the team there.

“I think once it is done, I can give my report card, but I am looking forward to it, and I am proud to take the national team to the Afcon.

“I qualified them once before and didn’t go, so I am happy to be going forward this time.”

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