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Just 12 PSL players at the Afcon‚ so why the break?

Picture credit: Veli Nhlapo.
Picture credit: Veli Nhlapo.

A total of 12 Premier Soccer League players and one from the National First Division will be competing at the African Nations Cup finals in Gabon which brings into question whether a one-month break for the tournament is really all that necessary.

Zimbabwe named eight players from South African clubs in their squad‚ Uganda three and Ghana included the Orlando Pirates defender Edwin Gyimah despite a recent car accident while on holiday at home.

Zimbabwe coach Callisto Pasuwa picked Willard Katsande of Kaizer Chiefs as captain and Onismor Bhasera (SuperSport United)‚ Khama Billiat (Mamelodi Sundowns)‚ Kudakwashe Mahachi and Danny Phiri (both Lamontville Golden Arrows)‚ Cuthbert Malajila (Bidvest Wits)‚ Tendai Ndoro (Pirates) and Evans Rusike from Maritzburg United.

Denis Onyango‚ named the best local-based player in Africa by the Confederation of African Football on Thursday‚ captains Uganda as they return to the tournament for the first time in almost 40 years and is joined by the Baroka pair of Khalid Aucho and Geoffrey Massa.

Burkina Faso’s squad‚ which was only named on Friday‚ includes Issouf Paro‚ a defender with Cape Town-based Santos in the NFD.

There are no PSL clubs who have to forego more than two players and given the already overcrowded calendar it does question why the PSL would stop their activities for the duration of the tournament when Bafana Bafana are not competing. Other countries much worse affected‚ like England and France‚ continue their schedule.

Missing out are Issa Sarr‚ who had been in the Senegal for most of last year but not played for the country‚ and Dove Wome‚ surprisingly ignored by Togo.

Former PSL players at the tournament‚ which starts next Saturday‚ are Oscar Machapa (ex-Moroka Swallows)‚ Knowledge Musona and Matthews Rusike (Chiefs) for Zimbabwe; Sadat Ouro-Akoriko (ex-Free State Stars and AmaZulu) for Togo; Abdul Fatau Dauda (Pirates) and Jonathan Mensah (ex-Free State Stars) for Ghana; Aristide Bance (ex Chippa) of Burkina Faso and Uganda’s Geoffrey Sserunkuma‚ who spent time at Bloemfontein Celtic‚ Wits and Vasco da Gama.

TMG Digital/TMG Sport

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