AFCON
CAF President’s Club, Sundowns Is South Africa Bafana Bafana’s Backbone –
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
South Africa presented a closely-knitted and formidable side to get to their first semi-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations in 24 years.
Paradoxically, it is the same team they last met in the semi-finals that they are facing again as they are pitched against their major rivals in the continent, the Super Eagles of Nigeria.
When they last met at the semi-finals, the Super Eagles almost effortlessly prevailed, 2-0 with all the two goals scored in the first minute and then in the 34th minute. Thanks to the brace of the pacey Tijani Babangida who exploited the sluggishness of Mark Fish in the South African defence.
But things and time have changed. Bafana Bafana are now closely knitted around one club – Mamelodi Sundowns owned by the CAF President, Dr. Patrice Motsepe.
The CAF president’s investment in the club has not been in vein. Apart from winning the inaugural African Football League, the women’s sides are also the champions for the second time in the CAF Women’s League.
Dubbed as ‘Brazil of Africa’ on account of their yellow shirts over sky blue shorts, the club is not just the rave of the moment in South Africa, it has threatened the old order of continental inter-clubs competition.
The club which won the inaugural edition of the African Football League, is the engine room of Bafana Bafana. Ten members of the club make up the 27-man squad of South Africa.
Nine of them featured in Saturday’s energy-sapping clash with Cape Verde as they book their ticket to play against the Super Eagles. The nine include the Man-of-Match and captain, Rowen Williams.
Till date, like Nigeria’s Stanley Mwabali who also plays in the South African football league, Williams has had four clean sheets in a row. He has also set a rcord of stopping four penalties during the tie-breaking shoot-out.
In fact, in recent matches, the entire back four of South Africa is composed of players from Mamelodi Sundowns which Billionaire Motsepe bought nearly 20 years ago.
Seven of the Mamelodi Sundowns players were starters in that match while two others came in as substitutes.
Statistically, Mamelodi Sundowns holds the record of present the most players at the AFCON 2023.
This is coming in an era where most countries rely heavily on players based in Europe.
This is where the South African squad stands out.
It is an indication of the strength of their domestic league as well as the economy. Having the bulk of the players from the domestic league put their coach, the Belgian Hugo Broos at great advantage over other coaches.
He had more time to build a closely knitted squad who can find each other even with their eyes closed on the pitch.
Mamelodi Sundown players that featured at the quarter finals
- Rowen Williams – Goalkeeper/captain
- GomolemoKekana -Defender
- Thapelo Morena -Defender
- Khuliso Mudau-Defender
- ThembaZwane, striker
- Thapelo Maseko – Defender, a 63rdminute sub for Thapelo Morena
- Terrence Mashego– Defender, a 115th minute sub for Thapelo Maseko
- Nyiko Mobbie- Defender, a 103rd minute sub for Khuliso Mudau.
- Jayden Adams – Midfielder, a 91stminute sub for Themba Zwane
The Libyan Football Federation (LFF) has sacked its Serbian coach, Milutin Sredojević who is popularly known as Micho.
This is coming ahead of Libya’s back-to-back Africa Cup of Nations clashes with Nigeria next month.
Paradoxically, Sports Village Square gathered that the coach’s contract was only recently renewed for six months before the axe fell on the Serbian.
His sack was precipitated by the results obtained in their teo matches of the AFCON qualifiers.
Libya drew 1-1 with Rwanda at home and lost 2-1 away to Benin Republic despite beig a goal up at half time.
The Libyan side, Mediterranean Knights are due to play against the Nigeria Super Eagles in Uyo on 6 October while the return leg holds on 14 October at the 11 July Stadium in Tripoli.
According to information Sports Village Square gathered from Tripoli, the Mediterranean Knights’ coach, Micho led the Libyan national team to win nine matches since taking over in October of last year, he failed to build a strong team due to his poor choices.
He also took a risk with the footballers chosen in the AFCON qualifiers, and the result was shocking to the Libyan sports audience.
According to sources close to the Libyan Football Federation, there is a strong tendency to sign a national coach to lead the Libyan team during the remaining qualifiers for the African Cup of Nations.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe has lashed out at Ghana and some other African countries whose home grounds were recently banned from hosting CAF matches owing to inadequate facilities. He made the remarks in Nairobi, Kenya during a press conference,
After the MatchDay 2 of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, CAF ruled Ghana’s Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi as being inadequate to host international matches. Being the only approved ground in the country, Ghana will now look towards either Cote d’Ivoire or Togo for their remaining home matches of the Afcon qualifiers.
Other African countries without approved home grounds are: Djibouti, Chad, Niger, Eritrea, Gabon, Sudan, Zimbabwe, Madagascar, São Tomé and Burundi.
Motsepe voiced his frustration over the recurring issue of nations being unable to host home games.
“Nothing frustrates me more than a national team or club side having to play home matches outside,” he stated.
He stressed the significance of playing in front of home fans, adding, “You can’t grow football if the national teams or club sides aren’t playing in front of their home fans.”
Motsepe reiterated CAF’s commitment to working with countries to ensure they have at least one suitable stadium to host international fixtures.
“Our conversations in every country are to make sure there is at least one stadium capable of hosting a CAF category C game,” he emphasized.
The on-going CAF AFCON Cote d’Ivoire 2023 Coaches Symposium in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire has brought together, the last three coaches that handled the Nigeria national football team.
Gernot Rohr, Jose Peseiro and Austin Eguavoen are part of the the elite coaches currently gathered in Abidjan.
Gernot Rohr whose tenure of 5 years and 55 matches is the longest ever by any coach in Nigeria, is currently handling Nigeria’s Africa Cupof Nations and World Cup qualifying rivals, Benin Republic. He was succeeded in the interim by Austin Eguavoen who is currently having another interim stint.
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