OWN CORRESPONDENT, Windhoek | Friday 4.30pm.
BAFANA Bafana face Namibia in the Castle Cup Southern Africa championship in Windhoek on Saturday hoping to erase memories of a black day in their brief international history.
Outsiders Namibia created the biggest shock in the three-year competition by twice coming from behind to defeat Bafana Bafana (The Boys) 3-2 in a preliminary tie last year.
While South Africa are favoured to join Angola and Swaziland in the semi-finals, coach Trott Moloto will lack most of his European-based professionals, including captain Lucas Radebe.
Dreadlocked Orlando Pirates midfielder Thabo Mngomeni, the only player to feature in every match since Moloto took charge last October, has been named skipper.
South Africa look vulnerable in the centre of defence and the refusal of Moloto to shift from a 3-5-2 system foreign to many of his players may add to the discomfort.
Jerome McCarthy, elder brother of Spanish-based striker Benni, is one of three contenders for the right wingback position while in-demand Shaun Bartlett is a certain starter up front.
Newly-promoted Italian Serie A club Lecce reportedly want to sign Bartlett, who struck a rich vein of goals when he joined Swiss outfit FC Zurich last season.
Namibian hopes of delivering another blow to South African pride are not helped by the absence of their leading defender Mohammed Ouseb and top striker Eliphas Shivute.
Ouseb, from Johannesburg-based Kaizer Chiefs, is serving a one-match suspension after receiving cautions against Lesotho and Malawi and Chinese club Shengzen refused to release Shivute.
German coach Peter Ueberjahn has named three South African-based players – goalkeeper Ronnie Kanalelo, and midfielders Ricardo Mannetti and Robert Nauseb. — AFP