Bafana Bafana head coach Pitso Mosimane will be without two key midfielders, Teboho Mokoena and Bathusi Aubaas, in a friendly match against Egypt in Cairo on Sunday.
Mosimane’s camp has been plagued by injuries in recent days, with several important members of the squad picking up knocks as Bafana navigate the 2027 AFCON qualifiers in Group D.
Bafana missed the services of Teboho, Mokoena, Aubrey Modiba, and Nkosinathi Sibisi in a match against Eritrea on Wednesday in the qualifiers.
Meanwhile, Aubaas sustained an injury in South Africa’s impressive 5-0 victory over Eritrea. As a result, the former TS Galaxy man limped off in the first-half of the match and was replaced by Brooklyn Poggenpoel, who put in a good performance in midfield.
Mokoena and Modiba suffered injuries in Bafana’s opening qualifier against Guinea in Soweto, as former Mamelodi Sundowns coach Mosimane guided his side to a hard-fought 2-1 win. On the other hand, Sibisi is yet to feature for Bafana in the current international window after sustaining an injury at training.
MOKOENA AND AUBAAS UNAVAILABLE FOR EGYPT CLASH
With Bafana gearing up for a mouth-watering friendly against Egypt, the South African Football Association [SAFA] has revealed that Mokoena and Aubaas are unavailable for selection.
The injuries to the Sundowns stars leave Bafana with Sphephelo Sithole and Brooklyn Poggenpoel as the only two defensive midfielders available for duty against the North African giants.
Sithole and Poggenpoel formed a strong partnership in the middle of the park during the thrashing of Eritrea. However, Mosimane would have loved to have his experienced players available against Egypt, which will present a tough challenge for the 2023 AFCON bronze medalists.
SAFA confirmed the unavailability of Aubaas and Mokoena on Friday afternoon via an official statement.
The setback comes as head coach Pitso Mosimane and his charges finalise preparations to face Egypt in a high-stakes clash at Cairo International Stadium tonight, with kickoff scheduled for 20:00 CAT.
“The midfield will be the biggest challenge for Mosimane as Bathusi Aubaas and Teboho Mokoena are out with injuries and will play no part on Sunday.”
Meanwhile, Mosimane added: “It is a friendly game, and we need to see what they are capable of at this level. So we plead for patience and support…
“The country must understand that we have played the qualifiers [against Guinea and Eritrea] and we are done. That is the most important thing. It is important to build for the next FIFA World Cup…
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