Johannesburg - Rivaldo Coetzee is set to make his return to the Bafana Bafana starting line-up for Tuesday’s do-or-die Group C match against Ghana.
The 18-year-old defender was substituted in the 29th minute of South Africa’s first 2015 Africa Cup of Nations match against Algeria with a knee injury, and he didn’t feature in the match against Senegal. But team doctor Thulani Ngwenya said on Sunday the Kakamas-born centre back “is clinically fit to play 90 minutes of football”, and a call will be made this morning following a fitness test.
If Coetzee comes through the test unscathed, he will partner Eric Mathoho in the centre of the Bafana defence after Wits hard man Thulani Hlatshwayo was on Sunday ruled out because of concussion after he collided with a Senegalese player in the previous match.
The big Ayanda Gcaba did well when he came on for Hlatshwayo, but it seems like coach Mashaba is keen on reuniting Mathoho and Coetzee, who were excellent together in the qualifiers.
And Mashaba will be hoping that the duo can keep another man returning from illness quiet when they take on the Black Stars at the Estadio de Mongomo.
Asamoah Gyan made his return to the field with a sensational last-minute winner against Algeria after suffering from a “mild” bout of malaria.
The striker, who played a full 90 minutes against the Desert Foxes, savoured the goal and dedicated to his teammates who helped him to recover.
“It’s a great feeling to score a goal after my comeback from illness. I think personally I’m very happy with this goal,” Gyan said.
“I would like to say thank you for the players for their support. I had a tough week, and I was very weak. They did an incredible job by helping me get back on the field and it paid off.
“The goal was very important to the team.”
Gyan, who missed a penalty at the 2010 World Cup against Uruguay that would have steered Ghana into the semi-finals of the tournament in South Africa, says he is not quite back to full fitness after spending almost a week in bed.
“I won’t say I’m 100percent fit. But thanks to the doctor, he really cared for me and he did what he could to get me on the field,” he said.
But the striker will be at the forefront of Ghana’s attacks as they go in search of a quarter-final spot of this Afcon.
He wasn’t at his best during the Algeria clash, but he showed his class and power to score a goal that has thrown Group C wide open.
“We are expecting a tough game. South Africa are a tough side. They have quite a young team, they are building a team, and they did so well in the qualifiers,” Gyan said.
“We do respect them, South Africa are a football nation and we are looking forward to a really tough game.
“I just wish all the teams luck in the competition. Everyone wants to qualify, and everyone is going to work really hard to try and win their respective matches on Tuesday.”
The Star