Bafana Bafana face their acid test when they host Poland in their last friendly at Orlando Stadium on Saturday afternoon before they open their Confederations Cup programme a week later against Iraq.
That was the opinion of Orlando Pirates and Bafana goalkeeper Moeneeb Josephs, who is hoping to get a run against the East European side, but said he was not in the least worried if head coach Joel Santana did not select him.
Josephs said that Poland would be much more competitive than the weak Mauritius side that were beaten 2-0 by Bafana in a training match at the Germiston Stadium last Saturday.
”The Poland game is a big, big test for us. Mauritius was simply a practice game, nothing more, but it helped us. However, the Poland match is far more important because it comes a week before we play Iraq in the Confederations Cup,” said Josephs.
”Poland are a decent side with a good pedigree. They will show us how far we have progressed during the past three weeks or so in camp. As a goalkeeper we all want to play, but only one of us can.
”Goalkeepers are like a band of brothers. We will support whoever the coach selects and help him all we can. We all want the same thing and that is for Bafana to do well in the Confederations Cup.
”I am more than happy to play any role I can, and if that means helping and sitting on the bench, I will accept that. It is all about supporting each other. We are all working for the same objective and that is to have a successful Confederations Cup.”
However, Santana appears to have made up his mind on Kaizer Chiefs’ youngster, Itumeleng Khune, as his number one choice. He gave Khune a full run against Mauritius, but Santana needs to assess the likes of Josephs, Germany-based Rowen Fernandez and Brian Baloyi under competitive match conditions, and Poland offer that opportunity.
But Santana has shown himself to be stubborn when his mind is set, and it looks like the other members of the ”band of brothers” will be warming the bench.
One of Josephs, Baloyi and Fernandez will be axed from the squad, along with five outfield players, on Thursday when Santana names his final 23 players for the Confederations Cup as per Fifa rules. — Sapa