There were no major shocks in the Bafana Bafana squad named on Tuesday for the World Cup finals in Japan and South Korea… apart from the manner in which it was announced, that is.
Although it was possibly the most important and widely anticipated announcement that the South African Football Association (Safa) will make in four years, Safa chose to make the squad known through a press release.
Normally Safa would call a press conference to announce teams to afford the media a chance to raise questions to avoid speculation. Despite this being a team that will represent the country on soccer’s biggest stage, Chief Operations Officer Albert Mokoena said it was not compulsory for Safa to hold a press briefing.
”We can inform the media anyway we want and I thought a media release was appropriate and enough. If the press has any further questions they can always contact the coach like they usually do.”
Caretaker coach Jomo Sono said he had no idea why only a press release was issued.
”Probably Safa’s budget on food is finished,” he joked. ”But on a more serious note, I gave them the list yesterday (Monday) and they decide how they want to announce the team. My job is to coach but when you think about it, sometimes it’s not worth it.?
”Some of the questions which arise from the floor are defamatory and cheeky and you find a reporter fighting for Brian Baloyi, for instance” he added. ”Maybe Safa were pissed off by reports that we were booed in Durban.”
Sono said he was both happy and sad about his squad.
”I think this is the strongest and most experienced squad I could have chosen, I am not going to discuss individual players. This is the only way I could do it, I just hope they will give a good account of themselves. Of course I will only know how strong they really are when they play.”
Defenders Lovers Mohlala and Mark Fish were ruled out because of injuries. Goalkeeper Emile Baron seems to have chosen his club ahead of the country.
Sono said: ”He told us today (Tuesday) that if we can wait for him until May 18 he would be able to join us because he still wants to play for his club.”
The squad is:
GOALKEEPERS
Calvin Marlin (Ajax Cape Town)
Hans Vonk (Heerenveen)
Andre Arendse (Santos)
DEFENDERS
Aaron Mokoena (Germinal Beerschot)
Pierre Issa (Watford)
Thabang Molefe (Cosmos)
Matthew Booth (Sundowns)
Lucas Radebe (Leeds United)
RIGHT BACK/MIDFIELD
Cyril Nzama (Kaizer Chiefs)
LEFT BACK/MIDFIELD
Bradley Carnell (VfB Stuttgart)
RIGHT MIDFIELD
Sibusiso Zuma (F C Copenhagen)
Jabu Pule (Kaizer Chiefs)
MacDonald Mukansi (Lokomotiv Sofia)
CENTRAL MIDFIELD
McBeth Sibaya (Cosmos)
Thabo Mngomeni (Orlando Pirates)
Bernard Mnguni (Lokomotiv Moscow)
LEFT MIDFIELD
Delron Buckley (FC Bochum)
Quinton Fortune (Manchester United)
BEHIND STRIKERS
Steven Pienaar (Ajax Amsterdam)
Teboho Mokoena (St Gallen)
CENTRAL FRONT
Siyabonga Nomvete (Udinese)
Benedict McCarthy (FC Porto)
George Koumantarakis (FC Basle)
– Sapa