Head coach at Chippa United, Vusumuzi Vilakazi, says there was a time during the current season that he felt his goalkeeper, Dumisani Msibi, deserved a Bafana Bafana call-up.
Msibi is a former Motsepe Foundation Championship Goalkeeper of the Season while he was at Durban City FC.
He joined Chippa at the beginning of the season and had been playing second fiddle to Nigerian international Stanley Nwabali. But the departure of Nwabali has seen the former SA junior international grab his opportunity with both hands at Chippa.
The 30-year-old has been a pillar of strength for the Chilli Boys, keeping six clean sheets in just 10 league outings. It is an impressive return for a Chippa side that has often struggled for defensive consistency in the past.
WHY VUSUMUZI VILAKAZI BACKS HIS GOALKEEPER FOR BAFANA BAFANA RECOGNITION
Speaking after his side lost 2-1 to Stellenbosch FC in a league match on Saturday, Vilakazi said Msibi will soon make an impact in the national team.
“I feel there was a stage where the Bafana Bafana technical team could have considered him. But as I’ve noted, he made some errors in the three games leading up to the national team selection, which unfortunately worked against him,” he said.
“So he was a bit shaky, I must be honest, because he made a few errors in his game. But it’s our game. We build from the back, so once he does it, it looks nice, but we mustn’t forget that sometimes we will make mistakes and we will suffer from those.
“But he’s a goalkeeper who, in future, if not very soon, he will have a very serious impact on our national team.”
When questioned on the void left by Nwabali’s departure and its effect on the squad’s performance, Vilakazi noted: “No, I don’t think so. I used Stanley in only two games. After that, it was Msibi until now. So I wouldn’t say losing him had an impact. Msibi had six or seven clean sheets, and I didn’t get that question.”
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