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Barlett hopes there's still more goals in Bafana kitty

Bafana Bafana coaches Stuart Baxter and Shaun Bartlett prepare for the return match against Seychelles.
Bafana Bafana coaches Stuart Baxter and Shaun Bartlett prepare for the return match against Seychelles.
Image: Veli Nhlapo

Ex-Bafana Bafana striker Shaun Bartlett hopes the national team didn't use up the goals in the 6-0 record win over Seychelles at FNB Stadium at the weekend.

Bafana need another win here in today's return leg at Stade Linite (3.30pm), on an artificial turf at the capital, Victoria. Now an assistant coach to Stuart Baxter at the national team, Bartlett - Bafana's second top scorer with 29 goals - is relishing another Bafana win, this time on the road.

"Ultimately, it's about the individual, the player who wants to score goals," Bartlett told the Sowetan before yesterday's training at the match venue.

"For me, it's the work we put in on the field and it's nice to see it coming together on match day, the things that we do at training."

Baxter would probably retain the team that did duty in Joburg with Lebogang Mothiba and Percy Tau leading the frontline.

"Like coach Stuart said, every time we scored (in the 6-0 win) he would say 'we did that at training'. So I think the players have that mind to learn, it makes it easy for the coaches," he said.

The former University of Pretoria mentor is excited to work with the current crop of players and believes they are good enough to challenge anybody, including the continent's big boys such as Nigeria, Egypt and Senegal.

"We've got a good squad of players that can go a long way. One aspect that in the last couple of months or even years for that matter has been neglected is the mindset.

"Players need to understand that going to different destinations and playing different teams means you have to change your mindset," he said.

Bartlett, who doubles up as a SuperSport TV analyst, confirmed he's on a game-to-game contract with Bafana, but you could sense that he's keen on a long-term deal.

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