Bafana Bafana are conspicuously absent at the forthcoming delayed 2022 African Nations Championship (CHAN) finals, but former DStv Premiership stars will still grace the tournament.
South Africa crashed out of the qualification race for CHAN, which is exclusive to players based in domestic leagues across Africa.
Bafana Bafana lost 2-0 to the Angolans on the road in the first leg of the final qualifying round.
The second leg encounter played at Dobsonville Stadium ended in a 1-4 defeat for Bafana Bafana last September.
Angola will thus participate in the competition scheduled to run from January 13 to February 4 2023, in Algeria.
FORMER CAPE TOWN CITY KEEPER HUGO MARQUES TO STAR FOR ANGOLA AT CHAN
Angola’s key players include former Cape Town City goalkeeper Hugo Marques. The keeper will lead the Palancas Negras at the competition.
Hugo Marques returned home earlier this DStv Premiership season to sign for Angola’s Girabola league champions, Petro de Luanda, due to personal reasons.
Now, Cape Town City’s best keeper of last season, Hugo Marques, will man the posts for the Palanca Negras.
Angola are in the same Group D as Mali and Mauritania.
EX-PIRATES COACH MICHO TO LEAD UGANDA AT CHAN
Group B action will see former Orlando Pirates coach Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic leading Uganda’s Cranes.
Micho is managing Uganda for the third time at the CHAN finals, having also taken charge of the Cranes at the 2014 and 2016 editions.
Micho returned to Uganda last year after stints with Zambia national team, Zamalek in Egypt and Pirates.
The Cranes’ key players include former SuperSport United midfielder Moses Waiswa.
Waiswa is on the books of KCCA back home in Uganda. The midfielder recently returned home after quitting SuperSport United due to insufficient game time.
The Cranes will face Group B opponents Uganda, Cote d’Ivoire and Senegal. DRC will feature former Pirates striker Jean-Marc Mundele Makusu leading the attack.
Makusu did not deliver the goods with the Buccaneers after signing for them two seasons ago. Makusu had joined the Buccaneers on a year-long loan from AS Vita Club in the DRC.
The Congolese forward is now on the books of Congolese side Et Eloi Lupopo. Morocco are the defending champions of CHAN and will slug it out against Sudan, Madagascar and Ghana.
CHAN GROUPS
Group A (Baraki Stadium): Algeria, Libya, Mozambique, Ethiopia
Group B (Stade du 19 Mai 1956, Annaba): DR Congo, Uganda, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal
Group C (Chahid Hamlaoui Stadium, Constantine): Morocco, Sudan, Madagascar, Ghana
Group D (Olympic Stadium, Oran): Mali, Angola, Mauritania
Group E (Olympic Stadium, Oran): Cameroon, Congo, Niger
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