Johannesburg – Shakes Mashaba is counting on what he believes is Bafana Bafana’s good away record since he took over as coach to help the country’s senior national team progress to the next stage of World Cup qualifying.
Bafana travel to Benguela, Angola, for the first-leg tie on November 13 and Mashaba is gunning for a positive result away to set his team up for an easier clash when they host the Palancas Negras four days later in Durban.
“If you look at our history in these games, we’ve done well away,” Mashaba said when announcing his 25-man squad for the two clashes.
When he returned to the squad, taking over from Gordon Igesund, the man who has also coached the national Under-20 and Under-23 sides got South Africa to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) played earlier this year without losing a match on the road.
And it is that record he was referring to.
Yet the discerning soccer fan will be quick to remind Mashaba that his team came a cropper in Mauritania only recently for the current Afcon qualifying matches.
This, though, is for the big one and with defeat in this tie ending the losers’ dream of going to Russia 2018, Mashaba is sure to pull out all the stops to ensure success.
He has just beaten Angola in their own backyard recently in the lowly Championship of African Nations (CHAN) qualifier, although Bafana lost on aggregate after being beaten in the first leg.
However, using that 2-1 win by a side completely different to the one he has selected would be folly.
“We cannot use that as a yardstick of what is to come because maybe two or three players won’t be in that team,” said Mashaba.
“So we’re going to go there and play hard and do our best to get a good result and make things a bit easier in the return leg.”
Another factor that has Mashaba not reading much into the CHAN encounter is the fact that they will be playing at a different venue.
“Yes, we’ve done well away but we don’t say it is going to happen automatically,” he said.
“We are now going to play in another city and travelling is going to be a problem because we will arrive in Luanda and then get a connecting flight to Benguela.”
And that is perhaps part of the reason for the confidence.
Mashaba has recalled two players who previously played for the squad.
Back with Bafana are on-form striker Dino Ndlovu, who is having a great run in Cyprus where he plays for Anorthosis Famagusta, as well as Mpumalanga Black Aces’ leftback Lehlohonolo Nonyane.
While he described himself as loath to give reasons for including players in the squad, Mashaba relented when asked about Ndlovu
“No reason for me to justify why I have brought Dino in because then I will have to give the reason for each and every player’s inclusion,” the coach said. “But he has scored seven goals in seven games for his team.”
The former SuperSport United striker has actually scored seven in eight as he enjoys a good vein of form albeit in a league that cannot be described as “top”.
And coming back to fight for a starting position against the likes of Thulani Serero, Thamsanqa Gabuza, Sibusiso Vilakazi and Tokelo Rantie, it will be interesting to see if Ndlovu replicates his club form in training to convince Mashaba to pick him ahead of any of those.
Whoever he goes with, though, Mashaba will have to use all his vast experience as a coach to ensure Bafana get a positive result in Benguela.
And reminding his team of their “good record on the road” will be the best place to start.
The Bafana Squad
Goalkeepers
Itumeleng Khune (Kaizer Chiefs), Jackson Mabokgwane (Mpumalanga Black Aces), Ronwen Williams (SuperSport United)
Defenders
Siyabonga Nhlapo (Bidvest Wits), Lehlohonolo Nonyane (Mpumalanga Black Aces), Anele Ngconga (Troyes FC, France), Thabo Matlaba (Orlando Pirates), Clayton Daniels (SuperSport United), Erick Mathoho (Kaizer Chiefs), Rivaldo Coetzee (Ajax Cape Town), Thulani Hlatshwayo (Bidvest Wits)
Midfielders
Andile Jali (KV Oostende, Belgium), Kamohelo Mokotjo (FC Twente, Netherlands), Phumlani Ntshangase (Bidvest Wits), Bongani Zungu (Mamelodi Sundowns), George Lebese (Kaizer Chiefs), Dean Furman (SuperSport United), Mpho Makola (Orlando Pirates), Mandla Masango (Randers FC, Denmark), Themba Zwane (Mamelodi Sundowns)
Forwards
Thamsanqa Gabuza (Orlando Pirates), Thulani Serero (Ajax Amsterdam, Netherlands), Sibusiso Vilakazi (Bidvest Wits), Tokelo Rantie (Bournemouth, England), Dino Ndlovu (Anorthosis Famagusta, Cyprus)
– The Sunday Independent