Johannesburg – Gordon Igesund‘s experiment with a younger Bafana Bafana will be put to the test when South Africa take on Morocco in an international friendly in the north African country on Friday night (kick-off 9pm).
The game marks part of Morocco’s opening of the the Agadir New Stadium, which will host both the Fifa Club World Championships at the end of this year and the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.
Igesund’s current contract runs out in July, but he has spoken confidently about future plans for both the 2015 Afcon and the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
The Bafana coach’s squad to face Morocco hints at the future, while also retaining many familiar names.
“In the squad, every player can be understudy to a certain player come 2015,” said Igesund.
“It is five years to the 2018 World Cup and we need to develop players. The senior players have a huge role when you put the young players in the squad. They need to learn from the senior players.”
And so it is that youngsters like Kamohelo Mokotjo, and Ayanda Patosi find themselves alongside more experienced faces like Dean Furman and Anele Ngcongca.
Another experienced man, midfielder Kagiso Dikgacoi, was ruled out last week with a hamstring injury, but Igesund won’t replace him in the squad.
Igesund denied that he would have been better off fielding a side in preparation for the African Nations Championships (CHAN) in South Africa early next year, a tournament for locally based players only.
“There are a lot of top quality young players in Europe and we have this opportunity to play Morocco,” he said.
“I will have time to develop a team for CHAN, which is locally based and we are playing a formidable team in Morocco. In preparation for CHAN, there are two dates in November.”
Morocco have picked a strong squad for the Bafana game, with the likes of Fulham attacking midfielder Adil Taarabt, Dynamo Kiev winger Younes Belhanda and Malaga striker Mounir El Hamdaoui all included in coach Rachid Taoussi’s squad.
Cape Argus