16 January 2015

Bafana Bafana head coach Shakes Mashaba has declared himself happy with the team’s preparations for the 30th edition of the African Nations Cup, which starts in Equatorial Guinea on Saturday.

The South African team will take on top-ranked Algeria on Monday at the Estadio do Mongomo in the first Group C match. Senegal and Ghana are the other teams in the “Group of Death” group.

But the national team is boasting a 12-match winning streak, with their latest 3-0 win over Mali on Wednesday a great confidence booster. They held Cameroon to a 1-1 draw in a warm-up match in Libreville on 10 January.

“I think we are ready and looking forward to the start of the tournament,” Mashaba told Safa.net. “We are happy with the preparations, especially in matches against Cameroon and Mali. We now know what we are going to face in Equatorial Guinea and, yes, it is going to be tougher than this.

“But I would like to say to our boys – job well done. Mali had almost all their players from abroad, which is clear indication that it was not an easy game.”

Mashaba, who has recorded 10 straight wins with the team, says the team is “comfortable” with their chances ahead of the tournament.

“The more you win, the more enemies you create for yourself and I can tell you now that in the Afcon we will give a good account of ourselves,” the coach said.

“When we started nobody gave us a chance, now people are starting to raise eyebrows and asking who are these ones coming from the South Africa? But they will know when we play them.”

Squaring up

Bafana Bafana have played the Algerica twice before at the Nations Cup. In 1996, South Africa won 2-1 in a quarterfinal on home soil, before going on to beat Tunisia 2-1 in the final.

They played to a 1-1 draw in 2000, allowing South Africa to qualify for the quarterfinals. SA finished third that year.

Second favourites to win the tournament, the Desert Foxes have only won the Afcon Cup once before, and that was in 1990. However, they had a cracker of a World Cup in Brazil last year, making the last 16.

Three players in the 23-man Algerian squad have been withdrawn due to injury. The latest is goalkeeper Mohamed Lamine Zemmamouche, who injured his shin at training this week. He will be replaced by Cedric Si Mohamed from CS Constantine, the team’s management said.

Determined

In a round-up of the South Africans, Just Football says the players have their eyes set on a place in the latter stages of the tournament, despite the tough group.

“The players will also be looking to honour the memory of goalkeeper Senzo Mewiya who was shot dead in October 2014 – and the memory of their former captain will be a real driving force and potential inspiration in Equatorial Guinea.”

While determined, the squad of 23 is an inexperienced one, with an average of just 17 caps per player, Nick Said writes in Business Day on Friday.

The most experienced players are Bernard Parker, with 70 caps, and Reneilwe Letsholonyane, with 52. The least capped player is Ayanda Gcaba, who is a replacement for the injured Patrick Phungwayo, who has been sent home.

South Africa have played 35 matches at the Nations Cup finals since 1996. They have recorded 14 wins, 12 draws and 9 losses.

FULL BAFANA SQUAD

Goalkeepers: Brilliant Khuzwayo, Darren Keet, Jackson Mabokgwane

Defenders: Siyabonga Nhlapo, Anele Ngcongca, Thulani Hlatshwayo, Mulomowandau Mathoho, Rivaldo Coetzee, Thabo Matlaba, Ayanda Gcaba

Midfielders: Themba Zwane, Andile Jali, Reneilwe Letsholonyane, Bongani Zungu, Thamsanqa Sangweni, Dean Furman, Thuso Phala, Mandla Masango, Oupa Manyisa

Strikers: Bernard Parker, Tokelo Rantie, Bongani Ndulula, Sibusiso Vilakazi

Withdrawn from squad due to injury: Patrick Phungwayo (returned home)

GROUP C FIXTURES

• January 19 – South Africa v Algeria – Estadio de Mongomo: 9pm
• January 23 – Senegal v South Africa – Estadio de Mongomo: 9pm
• January 27 – Ghana v South Africa – Estadio de Mongomo: 8pm

AFCON 2015 FIXTURES

All times CAT (SA, GMT+2)

Saturday 17 January 2015

• Equatorial Guinea v Congo – Estadio de Bata: 6pm
• Burkina Faso v Gabon – Estadio de Bata: 9pm

Sunday 18 January 2015

• Zambia v Congo DR – Nuevo Estadio de Ebebiyin: 6pm
• Tunisia v Cape Verde Islands – Nuevo Estadio de Ebebiyin: 9pm

Monday 19 January 2015

• Ghana v Senegal – Estadio de Mongomo: 6pm
• Algeria v South Africa – Estadio de Mongomo: 9pm

Tuesday 20 January 2015

• Cote d’Ivoire v Guinea – Nuevo Estadio de Malabo: 6pm
• Mali v Cameroon – Nuevo Estadio de Malabo: 9pm

Wednesday 21 January 2015

• Equatorial Guinea v Burkina Faso – Estadio de Bata: 6pm

Thursday 22 January 2015

• Zambia v Tunisia – Nuevo Estadio de Ebebiyin: 6pm
• Cape Verde Islands v Congo DR – Nuevo Estadio de Ebebiyin: 9pm

Friday 23 January 2015

• Ghana v Algeria – Estadio de Mongomo: 6pm
• South Africa v Senegal – Estadio de Mongomo: 9pm

Saturday 24 January 2015

• Cote d’Ivoire v Mali – Nuevo Estadio de Malabo: 6pm

Sunday 25 January 2015

• Gabon v Equatorial Guinea – Estadio de Bata: 8pm
• Congo v Burkina Faso – Nuevo Estadio de Ebebiyin: 8pm

Monday 26 January 2015

• Cape Verde Islands v Zambia – Nuevo Estadio de Ebebiyin: 8pm
• Congo DR v Tunisia – Estadio de Bata: 8pm

Tuesday 27 January 2015

• South Africa v Ghana – Estadio de Mongomo: 8pm
• Senegal v Algeria – Nuevo Estadio de Malabo: 8pm

Wednesday 28 January 2015

• Guinea v Mali – Estadio de Mongomo: 8pm
• Cameroon v Cote d’Ivoire – Nuevo Estadio de Malabo: 8pm

Saturday 31 January 2015

• Group A Winner v Group B Second Place – Estadio de Bata: 6pm
• Group B Winner v Group A Second Place – Nuevo Estadio de Ebebiyin: 9pm

Sunday 1 February 2015

• Group C Winner v Group D Second Place – Estadio de Mongomo: 6pm
• Group D Winner v Group C Second Place – Nuevo Estadio de Malabo: 9pm

Wednesday 4 February 2015

• Quarterfinal 1 Winner v Quarterfinal 4 Winner – Estadio de Bata: 9pm

Thursday 05 February 2015

• Quarterfinal 2 Winner v Quarterfinal 3 Winner – Nuevo Estadio de Malabo: 9pm

Saturday 07 February 2015

• Semifinal 1 Loser v Semifinal 2 Loser – Nuevo Estadio de Malabo: 8pm

Sunday 08 February 2015

• Semifinal 1 Winner v Semifinal 2 Winner – Estadio de Bata: 9pm

SAinfo reporter

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