BAFANA Bafana's previous squad announcements were normally accompanied by an air of elation, but yesterday's proclamation was rather sombre.

Though coach Shakes Mashaba tried hard to compose himself - cracking some jokes - he was still visibly traumatised by the death of his trusty goalkeeper and captain.

The squad announcement was preceded by the launch of the Senzo Meyiwa Gun Campaign, in which illegal gun owners are encouraged to surrender their guns to authorities in a bid to create a safer society.

The campaign is the brainchild of the South African Football Association.

Mashaba was curt in his speech before the announcement of the 26-member squad, stating simply: "We will play for Meyiwa".

Indeed, the players and technical staff will have the slain Bafana captain in mind when they tackle Sudan and Nigeria in their remaining two 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers later this month.

Meyiwa was a pivotal cog of the Bafana team in the four Afcon qualifiers. The boys are closer to qualifying for Morocco for the first time in six years, thanks largely to Meyiwa's agility between the sticks.

The humble Meyiwa, who led the national team with aplomb from the back, also boasted a clean slate in the qualifiers.

While Mashaba admitted that they went through a very hectic period following the death of Meyiwa, he stressed that they should accept what happened to the beloved captain and move forward.

That's how coaches with self-confidence and belief speak, Bra Shakes.

We should stop crying over spilt milk and move on.a.

Ours is a country bustling with soccer talent and there are goalkeepers out there who are ready, willing and able to plug the void left by Meyiwa.

"This will be the first time we meet since this tragedy befell us but we just have to accept it and move forward," Mashaba said.

"It is going to be a difficult thing but everything happens for a reason and I believe through God's will, the players will automatically be able to play above themselves ...

"We will play for him [Meyiwa] as he did a sterling job towards this team's qualification, so we need to carry the baton and ensure we qualify for Morocco 2015."

Mashaba proved our abundance in goalkeeping talent when he opted for two new faces in Siyabonga Mpontshane of Platinum Stars and Kaizer Chiefs' rising star Brilliant Khuzwayo.

Darren Keet, who plays club football at KV Kortrijk in Belgium, is another glove man in a relatively balanced Bafana squad.

Khuzwayo has already proved his mettle at Chiefs, thanks to the absence of first-choice goalie and captain Itumeleng Khune.

At 24, Khuzwayo still has a lot to offer Bafana and like young players in the team who form part of Safa's Vision 2022.

It's normal that some of the new players in the team, like Khuzwayo, will have some butterflies in the stomach that could lead them to make mistakes as they try to settle in the national team set-up. But the last thing they expect from us is criticism.

They will need the nation's support to cope with the pressure that goes with wearing the Bafana jersey.

Our new captain, whom Mashaba is expected to announce shortly before the November 15 match against Sudan, will also look up to the nation for inspiration and we should be there for him.

Like I did with the previous Bafana captains, I will give the new guy my full support as he leads the national squad to the promised land in Morocco.

The Sudan tie was moved from Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit to Durban's Moses Mabhida Stadium to pay homage to Meyiwa.

So Durbanites, come in your numbers to the stadium, like you did when you paid your last respects to Meyiwa. Your dance and song will be enough to seal Bafana's qualification for Morocco.

The final leg of the qualifier will be against the Nigeria away on November 19 and we don't have a reason not win it.

Bafana, go out there and die with your boots on for Meyiwa and the country!