OWN CORRESPONDENT, Cape Town | Wednesday 4.00pm
BAFANA Bafana coach Trott Moloto has had to throw continuity out the back door in naming the Bafana Bafana side to face Malta in a centenary-celebration friendly before flying to the US to compete in the Nike Cup.
Moloto would have liked to stick with the side that has won two World Cup qualifiers this year against Lesotho and Mauritius, but has had to make do without players from Kaizer Chiefs, Sundowns and SuperSport who are unavailable due to BobSave and Caf Cup commitments.
After the friendly against Malta, Bafana Bafana will jet to the Washington DC where they will face up to the United States in their first Nike Cup game on June 3. Four days later, Bafana will play Mexico — who beat an inexperienced Bafana 4-0 in 1993– in Texas, with the last round-robin match against Ireland in New York’s Giants Stadium on June 11.
Five Amaglug-glug players, Aaron Mokoena, David Kannemeyer, Fabian McCarthy, Quinton Fortune and Dillon Sheppard, Shaun Bartlett and US-based midfielder Ivan McKinley have been included in the side for the American leg of the trip, with Bartlett captaining the side in the US.
Oxford United goalkeeper Andre Arendse makes his return after having a good run in African Nations Cup, while Turkish-based midfield veteran Helman Mkhalele has also been included in the squad.
George Koumantarakis, based in Switzerland, also makes his return with FC Bochum’s Delron Buckley and Bush Bucks’ Patrick Mayo whose debut goal helped Bafana overcome a tame Mauritius 3-0 last month.
The team will then fly back to South Africa to start their preparation for the Cosafa Cup quarterfinal against Swaziland — hopefully bolstered by a number of fresh legs.
Bafana Bafana squad
Goalkeepers: Andre Arendse (Oxford United, England), Simon Gopane (Jomo Cosmos)
Defenders: Andile Sixaba, Andrew Rabutla (Cosmos), David Kannemeyer (both Ajax CT), Cyril Nzama (Bush Bucks), Aaron Mokoena (Ajax Amsterdam, Holland), Fabian McCarthy (Bloemfontein Celtic), Jacob Lekgetho (Moroka Swallows), Pierre Issa (Olympique Marseille, France).
Midfielders: Arthur Zwane (Classic), Ivan McKinley (New England Revolution, United States), Helman Mkhalele, Dumisa Ngobe (both Ankaragucu, Turkey), Dillon Sheppard (Ajax CT), Thabo Mngomeni (Orlando Pirates), Godfrey Sapula (Cosmos), Quinton Fortune (Manchester United, England).
Strikers: Delron Buckley (Bochum, Germany), George Koumantarakis (Basle, Switzerland), Patrick Mayo (Bush Bucks) and Shaun Bartlett (FC Zurich, Switzerland).
The seven players not available for the friendly against Malta are: Mokoena, Kannemeyer, McCarthy, McKinley, Sheppard, Fortune and Bartlett.