AFCON
BAFANA GOALKEEPER MAKES PASSIONATE PLEA TO FANS FOR SUPPORT
The low interest that South Africans are showing towards Saturday’s Africa Cup of Nations match with Nigeria is still a source of worry to the South African team and officials.
The team goalkeeper, Itumeleng Khune has joined in calling for support from the public. As at Wednesday, only 7,300 tickets have been sold for a match which venue has the capacity for 94,736 spectators.
The South African Football Association officials fear that the large population of Nigerians in South Africa, especially in Johannesburg and Pretoria areas may outnumber South Africans in a match they are playing at home.
Bafana’s goalkeeper, Khune reportedly believes a decent crowd can come out to support Bafana Bafana in their Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Nigeria on Saturday‚ but has also made an impassioned plea for South Africans to buy tickets.
“The team needs you. The team needs you‚” Khune told South Africans after a Bafana training session in oppressive heat at Steyn City School in Midrand on Wednesday.
Khune said‚ despite just 7‚300 tickets having been sold for such a big game – the winners of which can clinch qualification for Cameroon 2019 – against South Africa’s biggest footballing foes‚ Nigeria‚ he believed Bafana supporters would buy late.
“You know how South Africans are. They like last-minute things‚” Khune said.
“So they will go and buy tickets. We just have to encourage them to come to the stadium‚ and make promises that we will keep and we will deliver on Saturday.
“So that’s our promise – that we will do well. We will definitely go out there and represent the country well.
“So they must play their part as well by coming to support the team. And purchase more tickets.
“Ninety-five thousand – it’s possible.
“South Africans I know you can do it. The team needs you.”
Despite the confidence of his appeal‚ Khune said the criticism that has been levelled at Bafana after more than a decade of underachievement punctuated by failures to qualify for major tournaments‚ let alone compete for a Nation Cups‚ is warranted.
“I think our people deserve better. I mean‚ we have to win every match we play‚” the Kaizer Chiefs captain‚ one of the best goalkeepers in Africa‚ said.
“We are in the top league‚ we [the PSL] are in the top 10 in Africa‚ maybe even in the top 10 in the world – I don’t know.
“But we’ve got great players‚ with great potential to even play so many matches and consolidate and win them.
“So sometimes I think we don’t do justice to the country‚ we don’t do justice to our fans.
“And they have got every right to be mad at us. We deserve to have positive results in every match that we play in.
“But again‚ it’s not only us – we are playing against 11 who are put on the field to play. And our plan might not be executed on the day.
“It’s part of football. The other teams also plan for us. And if we don’t take advantage we won’t win matches.
“But I don’t think we have been unfairly judged. I think they [the fans] are right. We need to deliver in every match we play.”
Cote d’Ivoire head coach Emerse Fae has overhauled his backroom team following the Elephants’ Africa Cup of Nations, Cote d’Ivoire 2023, success earlier this year.
Fae, who took over from Frenchman Jean-Louis Gasset during the tournament in January, has brought in three new faces as he builds towards qualifying for the 2025 TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations and 2026 World Cup.
Former Cote d’Ivoire goalkeeper Gerard Gnahouan, 45, joins as goalkeeping coach after working in this role with French Ligue 2 side Sochaux.
Gnahouan, capped 10 times by the Elephants between 2002 and 2011, takes over as goalkeeping coach and will be tasked with getting the best out of first-choice Yahia Fofana.
Moroccan Samir Anba, previously with French club Nice and Morocco’s Under-17s, takes over as fitness coach, while Jeremy Antonio arrives as video analyst after working with Fae at French side Clermont.
“This new composition of the technical staff marks the start of a new era for the Cote d’Ivoire national team, and expectations are high,” said Fae.
Fae kept faith with assistant Guy Demel while former international Alain Gouamene joins as the second assistant coach of the AFCON-winning team.
The 40-year-old led an all-local setup to a surprise African title in March after being promoted from Gasset’s number two following their near exit at the group stage.
The new backroom additions have a huge challenge ahead, with Cote d’Ivoire facing crunch matches in June as they bid to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
The Elephants top their qualifying group after beating Gambia and Seychelles in the opening two matches in Group F of the qualifiers under caretaker Gasset.
-CAF
After commanding victories in the first leg matches of the Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco 2025, qualifiers, Chad, Liberia, and Eswatini find themselves in advantageous positions as they gear up for the return fixtures scheduled for Tuesday.
As the second leg of the preliminary fixtures approach, all eyes will be on these teams as they vie for their coveted spots in the group phase of the qualifiers, with the hopes of making their mark on the continental stage.
Chad emerged victorious with a narrow 1-0 win over Mauritius, joining Liberia and Eswatini in the lead after their impressive triumphs earlier last week.
Liberia secured a 2-0 victory against Djibouti, while Eswatini displayed their dominance with a 3-0 win over Somalia.
The second leg promises to be fiercely contested, particularly for Chad, who will face a challenging encounter against Mauritius on the latter’s home turf.
Coach Kevin Nicaise’s players are keen to defend their slender lead and secure their spot in the next phase of the qualifiers but the trainer admits they have an arduous task.
“We are far from perfect, far from being a top team in the world. We are in the construction phase. There are still things to work on and improve,” coach Nicaise said after their first-leg win.
“It is not overnight that we will be a top team in the world, we are aware of that, however we are working hard with the group and the staff to achieve this goal.”
Meanwhile, Liberia will host Djibouti, aiming to build on their first-leg success and seal their progression to the next round.
Eswatini will host Somalia with confidence, seeking to maintain their winning momentum and secure passage to the next stage of the tournament.
South Sudan and Sao Tome and Principe will also face off in what is expected to be a closely contested encounter, following their goalless draw in the first leg.
With both teams eager for victory, the match promises to be a thrilling battle for supremacy.
-CAF
Liberia and Eswatini took commanding leads in their respective Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco 2025, preliminary round ties after claiming impressive away victories on Wednesday.
Liberia captain Murphy Dorley scored one of two first-half goals as the Lone Stars defeated hosts Djibouti 2-0 in the opening leg in Marrakech.
Mohammed Sangare broke the deadlock from the penalty spot on 23 minutes before Dorley coolly slotted home Sebastian Teclar’s cross 12 minutes later.
Djibouti struggled to lay a glove on their more illustrious opponents as the Lone Star side kept them at bay to take two away goals into next week’s second leg in Monrovia.
Eswatini were also celebrating after demolishing Somalia 3-0 in the Moroccoan city of El Jadida to put one foot in the group stage qualifiers.
Striker Sabelo Ndzinisa was the hero, netting twice either side of Felicio Figuareido’s 40th minute opener for the visitors.
Somalia now face an uphill battle to qualify when they travel to the Mbombela Stadium in the South African city of Nelspruit for the return on March 26th.
The opening leg victories give Liberia and Eswatini a huge advantage heading into the second legs as they target a place in the group stage on the road to next year’s finals in Morocco.
Back from the locker room, Somalia still couldn’t play its game.
Worse, Eswatini widened the gap with Ginindza who scored his double of the evening in the 56th minute. 3-0, the score remained unchanged on the scoreboard until the final whistle.
Victory for Eswatini which will still have to perform in the return leg to ensure its qualification for the qualifiers.
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