Bafana Bafana coach Molefi Ntseki was concerned when his star player Percy Tau did not feature for his team, Club Brugge, in their Champions League clash against Paris Saint Germain in Paris on Wednesday night.
Tau was an unused substitute when the Belgians lost 1-0 to the French Ligue 1 champions at the Parc des Princes Stadium.
As Bafana assembled for the camp tomorrow ahead of their Group C 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier away at Cape Coast Stadium against Ghana on Thursday night, Ntseki told the Sunday Times that the availability of Tau and his Bafana strike partner Lebo Mothiba boosts and balances his team.
Bafana also meet Sudan in their second qualifier at Orlando Stadium on Sunday, three days after the arduous trip to Ghana.
Ntseki, however, has to live in hope that both players, who missed Bafana's friendly against Mali in Port Elizabeth last month due to injuries, will be fully fit and ready when he meets them in Ghana on Tuesday morning.
Tau's team, which tops the log in the Jupiler Pro League in Belgium, plays seventh placed Antwerp away this afternoon, while Mothiba's RC Strasbourg, struggling near the bottom in French Ligue 1, hosted bottom club Nimes at Stade de la Meinau last night.
THE NEXT LEVEL
"We're hoping that both players will be ready to compete and, hopefully, take their game to the next level," said Ntseki of the duo's availability for the two qualifiers.
"I think with Tau not being played in his club's last match, it's something that I was worried about. But I know when it comes to the national team, Tau will work hard to make things happen for us."
Other than Tau and Mothiba, Ntseki was worried about Themba Zwane's fitness after the creative midfielder failed to feature in Mamelodi Sundowns' last three matches.
Though Ntseki was noncommittal on who is likely to replace Zwane in case he doesn't pass the fitness test, players such as the in-form Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Lebo Manyama and Golden Arrows' Gladwin Shitolo can expect a call from him to be part of the local contingent heading to Ghana on Monday.
While Ntseki's focus will be fixed on the Ghana match on Thursday, he confirmed to the Sunday Times that he has enlisted the services of two of SA's top coaches to attend Sudan's match against Sao Tome and Principe in Sudan on the same day.
"Obviously, we don't have much on Sudan because they were not in the Afcon and it's very difficult to get anything. That's why we had to get people going to Sudan because we can't rely on TV coverage or anything.
I think with Tau not being played in his club's last match, it's something that I was worried about. But I know when it comes to the national team, Tau will work hard to make things happen for us
— Bafana Bafana coach Molefi Ntseki
"And we're talking of coaches here who understand the game. So they will be coming back with vital information for us, having explained to them how Bafana approach their matches.
WE HAVE TO WIN
"The game is only one way in terms of the result. It's a game we have to win, we can't think of anything else. We can't go into December worried about what will happen next year when we have to play Sao Tome home and away. We need to do our part this year so that when we prepare for the World Cup qualifiers at least we've got a team that has done well against Ghana and Sudan."
Though Bafana will be going all out for full points against Ghana, Ntseki admitted that four points in the first two matches will not be a bad return.
"Four points, but the question will be 'are you saying we can't beat Ghana'. But I'm saying we're very cautious about Ghana. It's an away match and with all the logistics of travelling.
"But we're saying we have a point in the bag and the only concern is for us to add more to the point we have."
Though Ghana will be a worry for Bafana after their poor showing in the Afcon 2019 in Egypt, Ntseki emphasised that people must not forget the Black Stars are still ranked higher than Bafana and coach Kwesi Appiah has made minimal changes to his team. Bafana return on Friday and will then have one training session at Orlando Stadium on Saturday before meeting the Sudanese.
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