Bafana skipper perplexed at Wits teammate’s exclusion from team

Bafana Bafana captain Thulani Hlatshwayo says coach, Molefi Ntseki did not explain why he separated him from his long-time partner in defence when they took on Ghana on Sunday.

In the match at Orlando Stadium, Hlatshwayo started alongside Kaizer Chiefs’ Erick Mathoho, instead of Bidvest Wits teammate, Buhle Mkhwanazi.

New defensive partner for Hlatshwayo

The two “Clever Boys” had been a mainstay in the starting line-up for Bafana throughout the Stuart Baxter era, and were both present in Ntseki’s first two games in charge.

However, the new coach made a change in the centre-back pairing, leaving Hlatshwayo to start, while reintroducing the in-form Mathoho.

Hlatshwayo said he was happy for the Khosi man, while he wasn’t aware why Mkhwanazi was left out.

“For sure, everyone is important in the team,” he told reporters after the match.

“Whether I’m playing or not, or Buhle is not around; Thami is not around, as long as [the team does well],” said Hlatshwayo.

“It’s a country, it’s not a football club like Bidvest Wits, but we’re happy for ‘Tower’ to have come in, even though the coach didn’t really explain why he took Buhle out. “But, like I said, it’s a country and everyone put their hands up [to get a place in the team].”

Still an uphill climb for Bafana

The victory saw Bafana get off the mark in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers after losing their opening match to Ghana.

They now sit third in Group C, with the Black Stars now leading the pack after a slim victory against Sao Tome e Principe.

Sudan dropped to second and, while they are level on points with South Africa, they edged them through superior goal difference.

Hlatshwayo feels Bafana could have scored more goals on Sunday – something that could aid them, should things remain tight in the qualifiers.

“I feel like we put ourselves under pressure because we could have scored two or three goals in the first half, and it was risky because they could have gotten one – you could see that their intention was to come and sit.

“It was important to score the first goal in the first half, and if you look at the time we scored it, it was a critical phase.

“We kept on knocking and knocking, we could have scored more, and if we didn’t score they’d have been more motivated. When we scored, it meant in the second half they kind of opened, though we didn’t have as many chances in the second half as in the first.”

Thulani Hlatshwayo

Bafana wait until March before their next competitive match, as they will begin the 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifying campaign.