BAFANA Bafana captain and goalkeeper Jackson Mabokgwane has warned his teammates against complacency ahead of their second leg 2018 Fifa World Cup qualifier against Angola at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban tomorrow (7pm kickoff).
Bafana fought back from the early setback of conceding after just 90 seconds in the first leg to record a 3-1 victory over Palancas Negras at Ombaka National Stadium on Friday, taking a healthy lead into the return leg in Durban.
As was the case last year in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, Bafana started their World Cup qualifying campaign with three goals away from home, but Mabokgwane said the job was not yet done.
"The match is not over and now we have to go and finish off the job. We cannot take them lightly," said Mabokgwane, who wore the armband for the third time after captaining the side in the Cosafa Cup earlier this year. "They [Angola] have a good team. They play more on the counter and they are very skilful and they take a lot of shots.
"So we really need to guard against them getting into our half using counterattacks," he said.
Bafana bounced back through goals by Tokelo Rantie, Thamsanqa Gabuza and Andile Jali, who was sent off after receiving a second yellow card. Jali will now miss the second leg and Dean Furman may fill his position.
Mabokgwane is happy with his performance as captain on the day and is hoping to get more opportunities to play and lead his country. The Mpumalanga Black Aces keeper started in place of the injured Itumeleng Khune.
"I am happy with my individual performance. It was a great honour to captain my country and get a victory. It's a great experience and it's something I will cherish for the rest of my life. Going forward, I will make sure I stamp my authority," he said.
The last time these countries met, at Moses Mabhida in a 2013 Africa Cup of Nations group stage clash, Bafana won 2-0. Anele Ngcongca, Thabo Matlaba, Rantie, Wayne Sandilands and Furman are the only surviving members of that team. A win for Bafana tomorrow will send them into the group stages, the final phase of the qualifiers.
l See Page 26
Our job not yet done, says Bafana captain
BAFANA Bafana captain and goalkeeper Jackson Mabokgwane has warned his teammates against complacency ahead of their second leg 2018 Fifa World Cup qualifier against Angola at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban tomorrow (7pm kickoff).
Bafana fought back from the early setback of conceding after just 90 seconds in the first leg to record a 3-1 victory over Palancas Negras at Ombaka National Stadium on Friday, taking a healthy lead into the return leg in Durban.
As was the case last year in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, Bafana started their World Cup qualifying campaign with three goals away from home, but Mabokgwane said the job was not yet done.
"The match is not over and now we have to go and finish off the job. We cannot take them lightly," said Mabokgwane, who wore the armband for the third time after captaining the side in the Cosafa Cup earlier this year. "They [Angola] have a good team. They play more on the counter and they are very skilful and they take a lot of shots.
"So we really need to guard against them getting into our half using counterattacks," he said.
Bafana bounced back through goals by Tokelo Rantie, Thamsanqa Gabuza and Andile Jali, who was sent off after receiving a second yellow card. Jali will now miss the second leg and Dean Furman may fill his position.
Mabokgwane is happy with his performance as captain on the day and is hoping to get more opportunities to play and lead his country. The Mpumalanga Black Aces keeper started in place of the injured Itumeleng Khune.
"I am happy with my individual performance. It was a great honour to captain my country and get a victory. It's a great experience and it's something I will cherish for the rest of my life. Going forward, I will make sure I stamp my authority," he said.
The last time these countries met, at Moses Mabhida in a 2013 Africa Cup of Nations group stage clash, Bafana won 2-0. Anele Ngcongca, Thabo Matlaba, Rantie, Wayne Sandilands and Furman are the only surviving members of that team. A win for Bafana tomorrow will send them into the group stages, the final phase of the qualifiers.
l See Page 26
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