Crafty Bafana Bafana caretaker coach Ted Dumitru’s ability to bluff with the best suggests he would not be out of place at a Sun City poker table.
But on Tuesday, South African Football Association (Safa) CEO Raymond Hack — no mean bluffer himself — announced that the canny Dumitru will put his cards on the table and disclose preliminary details of his plans for the African Nations Cup finals in Egypt at a press conference on Friday.
And while Hack said it is Dumitru’s prerogative to reveal ”whatever he wishes”, it would not be inconceivable for the former Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns coach to announce a preliminary list of players from which the squad for the African Nations Cup will chosen.
If Dumitru does reveal a list of Bafana possibles, it is likely to be reasonably lengthy, with the composition of the finalised squad far from conclusive.
The Bafana coach, however, has already promised a shake-up — and some early shocks and surprises could be on the cards.
Hack, however, side-stepped widespread media speculation that Bafana general manager Stanley ”Screamer” Tshabalala would be redeployed to another post within the Safa administration.
”All I know about this matter,” said Hack, ”is what I read in the newspapers. I held a lengthy meeting with the Bafana coach on Monday and Tshabalala’s name was not even mentioned.”
Whether this was just another example of bluffing or an indication that stories suggesting Tshabalala’s imminent demise was no more than a misguided storm in a tea cup remains to be seen — and Friday’s meeting could provide the answer. — Sapa