Mashaba to have strong selection for CHAN qualifier

All the local-based players in the Bafana Bafana squad for the last two matches against the Gambia and Angola will stay in camp for this weekend’s CHAN-2016 qualifier against Mauritius.

Coach Ephraim Mashaba said he would add a few more names to make up for the departure of the foreign-based contingent‚ who cannot play in the tie.

South Africa begin their campaign to try and qualify for the next CHAN finals in Rwanda next January with a two-legged tie against Mauritius. The first leg is at the Dobsonville Stadium in Soweto on Saturday afternoon.

Should South Africa advance past the Indian Ocean islanders‚ they will meet Angola or Swaziland in October to decide a place at the 16-team tournament.

CHAN is a scaled-down version of the Nations Cup for national teams made up of home-based players only.

South Africa has never before taken the tournament seriously and previously only fielded a motley crew of players at great pains of persuasion from clubs who have generally not wanted to release their players.

Even when South Africa were the hosts of the CHAN-2014 finals‚ coach Gordon Igesund had to field a rag-tag collection of players‚ some of whom were not even in regular consideration for club selection.

Mashaba will have likely the strongest selection yet for a CHAN qualifier but it is at odds with the Premier Soccer League’s plans not to break next January even if the country qualifies to go to Rwanda.

That means it is unlikely that clubs will release their best to allow the national coach to pick a top quality PSL selection for the tournament…which makes having all of the best players available this week against Mauritius a bit like taking an AK47 to a pellet gun competition.