Vuvuzela South Africa

“Bafana threw everything forward near the end but the defence of Iceland, a country that would fit into Soweto and with just 350 000 people, held firm.”

Bafana Bafana Team Showed Some Improvement

On Tuesday night the 2010 World Cup hosts suffered a 1-0 defeat to Iceland at Laugardalsvollur.

Although the Bafana Bafana team showed glimpses of improvement throughout the match; they started off well, attacking and passing the ball with intent.

Changed Starting Line-Up

Santana bowed to pressure and named a much changed line-up to the side who lost in Norway with Franklyn Cale, Sthembiso Ngcobo, Richard Henyekane and Siyabonga Sangweni all getting starts. Iceland, who are ranked a lowly 96th in the world, scored in the 50th minute through Veigar Pall Gunnarsson.

Henyekane and Modise More Lively

Richard Henyekane and Teko Modise were certainly livelier last night and  created some problems for Iceland’s defence.

Moeneeb Josephs played a great game until five minutes after half time when Gunnarsson bent a shot with the outside of his foot on the edge of the box after Mokoena failed to clear properly and goalkeeper Josephs got caught going the wrong way.

Six Changes in the Second Half

A desperate Joel Santana made six changes in the second half, but Bafana’s  left their shooting boots at home, with Teko Modise missing two good chances in the second half

I like this quote from kickoff.com: “Bafana threw everything forward near the end but the defence of Iceland, a country that would fit into Soweto and with just 350 000 people, held firm.”

Speculation over Santana’s Fate Continues

Bafana Bafana’s 1-0 loss to Iceland follows their 1-0 loss to Norway on Saturday and means that speculation over an imminent chop for coach Joel Santana will continue, even though Safa made their voice heard before the match to try and put a lid on the the growing discussion over a possible sacking and the replacements for coach Joel Santana.

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It is with a heavy heart that I am attempting to write this South Africa vs Iceland Preview. Bafana Bafana has lost seven times in a row, and without sounding negative (ok, I am sounding negative), I do not have much hope for today’s match, even though Iceland is ranked 96.

Not Only Joel Santana

It is not just the much-vilified coach Joel Santana; it is the Bafana Bafana team as well. I watch those boys playing PSL matches and then I see them on the pitch in their Bafana colors and it is as if zombies have invaded their bodies – they are totally different players.

South Africa suffered their seventh defeat in eight games against Norway on Saturday and never looked like troubling the European side’s goal.

As a matter of fact, just over four years ago South Africa lost 4-1 to Iceland in an international friendly but just one member of that Bafana Bafana starting line-up is set to feature on Tuesday night- the  Captain Aaron Mokoena.

Bafana Bafana Team

The 2010 hosts were underwhelming in Saturday’s clash with Norway and most worryingly of all, didn’t look like improving on their woeful scoring record. The strike force on Katlego Mphela and Bernard Parker were isolated up front and Teko Modise again failed to prompt any meaningful forays into the final third say football 365.com

But with Steven Pienaar ruled out with a knee injury, Santana’s attacking options in midfield are limited to Elrio van Heerden, Siphiwe Tshabalala, Modise and Franklyn Cale, who made his debut on the weekend.

It is a similar story with the forward line as although Richard Henyekane offers pace, he and Mabhuti Khenyeza and Sthembiso Ngcobo lack the international wherewithal to trouble international class backlines.

Iceland – Seasoned International Players

Iceland on the other hand, although not well ranked, has a line-up of seasoned internationals who might just teach Bafana Bafana a lesson or two. I guess the best we can hope for is a draw – the same result South Africa achieved against Iceland way back in 1998.

Emile Baron or Moeneeb Josephs

Meanwhile goalkeeper Emile Baron has been declared fit to play against Iceland. This comes after he picked up a minor finger injury at training on Friday, so will Santana use him or the in form Moeneeb Josephs who saves the team from a certain humiliation with his sharp stopping on Saturday?

South Africa take on Iceland this evening (Tuesday) at the Laugardalsvollur Stadium in Reykjavik, Iceland.

Kick off is at 20h10 South African time.

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As Bafana Bafana skipper, Aaron Mokoena runs on to the pitch in Limerick for his 50th cap tonight, against Ireland, the South African National team will be hoping for a better result than their 2 –0 loss to Germany at Leverkusen on the weekend.

The Portsmouth defender-cum-midfielder, who has 92 caps in all for South Africa, moved past Lucas Radebe’s record of 43 matches as captain of the side earlier in the year, and should now stretch his record past the 50 mark.
The South African team is going to have to up their game significantly in spite of Coach Joel Santana’s up-talking a rather poor and lackluster display from Bafana Bafana on Saturday bight against an energised and slick German team.

Coach Joel Santana and captain Aaron Mokoena insist these friendlies are a learning process and the skipper is expecting to gain more international insight against Giovanni Trapattoni’s men.

Bafana Bafana Team Preview

According to football365, Bafana, who employed three defensive midfielders against the Germans, is set to drop a destroyer – most likely Bevan Fransman in favour of Siphiwe Tshabalala. But goalkeeper Shu-Aib Walters will play no part in the encounter after breaking his finger in training and Steven Pienaar is a fitness doubt for the visitors.
Meanwhile, the hosts will be without senior players Robbie Keane, Richard Dunne, Shay Given and Kevin Kilbane, who have been rewarded for their hard-fought win in Cyprus with additional time off.

First National Cap for Clifford Ngobeni

Bafana Bafana coach Joel Santana will hand midfielder Clifford Ngobeni a first international cap when South Africa take on the Republic of Ireland in Limerick on Tuesday night.

According to Kickoff, Ngobeni, who has only ever featured in training matches for the national side before, is likely to be joined in the starting line-up by Siyabonga Nkosi and Mabhuti Khenyeza, although Richard Henyekane emerged as a possible starter, probably at the expense of Nkosi at training on Monday afternoon.

The Ajax Cape Town youngster will be part of an experimental, more attacking line-up against the under-strength Irish, who have sent the majority of their big-name players back to their respective clubs.

Photo: New Bafana Cap, Clifford Ngobeni. Kickoff.com

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According to football 365.co.za injuries, continue to hamper Bafana Bafana coach, Joel Santana’s plans as Teko Modise has joined veteran midfielder anchorman MacBeth Sibaya of Russian outfit Ruban Kazan and Greek based right back Bryce Moon who plays for Panathinaikos, on the sidelines for these two important European friendlies against Germany and Ireland.

Bafana Bafana to Play Germany on Saturday

Bafana Bafana will play three time World champions Germany in Leverkusen in a friendly international on Saturday night at 8.45pm and strong Irish side in Limerick next Tuesday night.

The replacements are certainly not second rank players:  Clifford Ngobeni, Lance Davids and Katlego Mashego have replaced the injured players.

Davids, has already played 16 times for his country but failed to get a game during June’s Confederations Cup. He is certainly versatile and can play either in a defensive midfield role or at right back.

22 year old, Johannesburg born Ngobeni’s – Ajax Cape Town midfielder, will be keen to stake his claim for a place in the squad either against Germany or Ireland.

Katlego Mashego replaces Teko Modise. They are teammates at Orlando Pirates.

“I think the team is leaving tonight and I will join them on Wednesday in Germany. Teko is has a swollen toe. So I have received a late call-up to the squad,” Mashego said to Kickoff.

The European based players in the squad will meet up with their teammates in Leverkusen on Wednesday.

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The Banfana Bafana squad that will meet Serbia in a friendly in Pretoria on Wednesday has been announced and Golden Arrows striker finally got his long awaited Bafana Bafana call up.

The announcement was made without Bafana Bafana head coach Joel Santana who is ill with Pneumonia and bronchitis in his home country and is not allowed to travel. Assistant coaches Jairo Leal and Pitso Mosimane on Thursday announced the squad to face Serbia in a friendly international.

The match will take place at the Super Stadium in Atteridgeville on Wednesday, 12 August 2009. Kick-off is 19h00

According to the Premier League website,  in announcing the team, the Bafana Bafana technical staff emphasized the need to keep the same team for the match against Serbia. “We don’t have much time to prepare for this match – just two days, so it was important to keep the same base from the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup squad where we had more than one month with the players.

Newstoday noted that top scorer Benjamin Parker is not in the line-up. “We were informed that Parker has an injury. Therefore we could not select him for this match,” assistant coach Jairo Leal said.

Richard Henyekane – only New Player

Richard Henyekane is the only new player that has been selected for the team. “We have been working on the team for three years,” Leal continued explaining why Henyekane deserved an invite. Even though the door is open to new players, “it is not open too much” he added.

Bafana Bafana assemble on Sunday night in Pretoria. They will train on Monday afternoon at the Pilditch Stadium while on Tuesday afternoon they will round off their preparations for the Serbia match at the Super Stadium.

Bafana Bafana Squad

The Selected Bafana Bafana Squad for the Serbia Match:

Baloyi Brian – Mamelodi Sundowns (SA)
Booth Matthew – Mamelodi Sundowns (SA)
Davids Lance Ajax-  Cape Town (SA)
Dikgacoi Kagisho – Golden Arrows (SA)
Fernandez Rowen – Bielefeld (SA)
Gaxa Siboniso-  Mamelodi Sundowns (SA)
Gould Morgan-  Supersport United (SA)
Henyekane Richard – Golden Arrows (SA)
Khumalo Bongani-  Supersport United (SA)
Khune Itumeleng – Kaizer Chiefs(SA)
Mashego Katlego – Orlando Pirates (SA)
Masilela Tsepo – Maccabi Haifa (Israel)
Mhlongo Benson -  Orlando Pirates (SA)
Modise Teko – Orlando Pirates (SA)
Mokoena Aaron – Portsmouth FC (England)
Moon Bryce – Panathanaikos (Greece)
Mphela Katlego – Mamelodi Sundowns (SA)
Nale Abia – Kaizer Chiefs(SA)
Nkosi Siyabonga -  Supersport United (SA)
Pienaar Steven – Everton FC (England)
Sibaya MacBeth  – Rubin Kazan (Russia)
Thwala Lucas – Orlando Pirates (SA)
Van Heerden Elrio – Blackburn Rovers (England)

Coach: Joel Santana

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Photo: football365.co.za

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