New Bafana Bafana coach Ted Dumitru has insisted on Monday that his pronouncement that ”some players on the initial shortlist of 35 for the African Nations Cup will bow out — while others not in the 35 will be included in an abbreviated list of 26 on Thursday” is in line with the squad’s evolution.
”Choosing the final squad of 23 for the tournament in Egypt on January 8 or 9,” explained Dumitru, ”is an ongoing process. What held good two weeks ago might now have changed considerably for one reason or another — and it is essential to take note of these changes and monitor them.
”Certain players may have found form dramatically; others might have tended to lose form. Then there is the question of injuries and the players’ level of fitness. All these factors need to be taken into account.”
With some players set to be dropped before they have been chosen — and others stepping spectacularly into the limelight — it is Kaizer Chiefs and former Bafana goalkeeper Emile Baron who has emerged as an obvious newcomer to Dumitru’s revised shortlist.
Moroka Swallows midfielder Tsweu Mokoro is another whose recent form must have catapulted him into the reckoning.
On the other hand, apart from those who will fall by the wayside purely because of a football evaluation, Dumitru will have to give serious thought about whether to persevere with Benedict Vilakazi, Jabu Pule, Scara Ngobese and Moeneeb Josephs — all involved in disturbing disciplinary matters of a varying serious nature.
The Bafana coach intends implementing a tough new approach in ensuring all selected players report for duty 14 days before Bafana’s opening African Nations Cup game against Guinea on January 22.
”The bulk of the squad will join the training camp next week when we will play the first of two practice games against composite PSL [Premier Soccer League] teams,” said Dumitru. ”But the 14-day proviso stipulated by Fifa is not negotiable. Any player missing this deadline will immediately be subjected to disciplinary measures — and this includes overseas-based players as well as those in the PSL.”
Dumitru warned ”an enormous amount of hard work” is required to bring the players up to the required standard of professionalism before the African Nations Cup.
”I am optimistic Bafana can emerge with credit from the tournament in Egypt, but believing it will happen without enormous sacrifices and hard work from all concerned is no more than wishful thinking,” the Bafana coach said.
And a friendly game against Egypt before the start of the Nations Cup should demonstrate to what extent the team’s evolution has succeeded. — Sapa