Be the Bafana coach
Gordon Igesund coach of South Africa with players during the 2013 African Cup of Nations training
South Africa Team Profile
With
the opening game of the 2013 African Cup of Nations fast approaching and all
eyes on Gordon Igesund and his Bafana Bafana team, the big question is ‘what
starting XI will the coach pick?’.
See bottom of page toselect your own Bafana starting XI
In the build-up to the tournament Igesund has used a host of players in different positions and tried out numerous combinations. He has also continuously stated that he will play an attacking brand of football.
A 1-0 loss to Norway and a 0-0 draw with Algeria has failed to inspire the nation with confidence. Striker Katlego Mphela has failed to deliver the goals despite getting into numerous goal scoring positions and the nation is worried.
Igesund has also opted to use a number of different players down both the left and right flanks with the likes of Siboniso Gaxa and Anele Ngcongca interchanging in the right wing-back position while on the left Tsepo Masilela and Thabo Matlaba are doing the same.
Does the coach go for experience in these positions or does he opt to use the new and enterprising talent at his disposal?
The centre-back pairing and goalkeeper seem to be pretty much set in stone as Itumeleng Khune will occupy the number one jersey while the task of keeping it tight at the back will fall to captain Bongani Khumalo and Siyabonga Sangweni.
In midfield, again it is a question of what type of football Igesund wants to play, attacking or conservative.
He could go with the tried and tested by playing the likes of Siphiwe Tshabalala down the left with Kagisho Dikgacoi and Reneilwe Letsholonyane to hold the midfield.
There is still, however, a big question mark hanging over the right wing position and whether Igesund should employ a more of a 4-1-3-2 formation allowing one holding midfielder to protect the defence while the three attacking midfielders look for scoring options.
But with the tried and tested, Igesund loses out on the talent and possible game breaking abilities of Thulani Serero & May Mahlangu, not to mention the impressive displays Dean Furman has shown in his short tenure as a holding midfield player.
Perhaps the biggest controversy will come over Igesund’s selection of his strikers.
Mphela has been used of late after recently recovering from injury and while he has a good goal scoring history with Bafana, he has failed to impress in the build-up to the tournament.
The coach does have the South African Premier Soccer League’s two top goal scorers in the team in Bernard Parker and Lehlohonolo Majoro (who play together at club level), and he could opt to use their combination which has worked on the domestic front.
But don’t forget Tokelo Ranite who has looked enterprising since joining the Bafana team.
So, with all this in mind we put the question to some MTNfootball.com staff and this is the starting XI they picked.
Brian Lee (Journalist): (4-4-1-1) Khune - Gaxa, Khumalo, Sangweni, Masilela - Phala, Furman, Letsholonyane, Tshabalala - Parker - Mphela
Neil Greig (Journalist): (4-1-3-2) Khune - Gaxa, Sangweni, Khumalo, Matlaba - Dikgacoi - Phala, Serero, Tshabalala - Parker, Mphela
Kgosana Buku (Picture desk editor): (4-4-2) Khune – Ngcongca, Sangweni, Khumalo, Matlaba - Phala, Dikgacoi, Furman, Serero – Parker, Mphela
Junior Mpisane (Journalist): (4-2-3-1): Khune - Ngcongca, Sangweni, Khumalo, Matlaba - Manyisa, Letsholonyane - Tshabalala, Serero, Phala - Parker
Nick Said (Journalist): (4-4-2) Khune – Ngcongca, Sangweni, Khumalo, Matlaba - Phala, Dikgacoi, Furman, Serero – Parker, Mphela
Sydney Mahlangu (Photographer): (4-4-2) Khune – Ngcongca, Sangweni, Khumalo, Matlaba - Phala, Dikgacoi, Letsholonyane, Tshabalala - Parker, Mphela
Who do you think will be Bafana’s starting XI? Send your thought to @MTNfootball on Twitter
See bottom of page toselect your own Bafana starting XI
In the build-up to the tournament Igesund has used a host of players in different positions and tried out numerous combinations. He has also continuously stated that he will play an attacking brand of football.
A 1-0 loss to Norway and a 0-0 draw with Algeria has failed to inspire the nation with confidence. Striker Katlego Mphela has failed to deliver the goals despite getting into numerous goal scoring positions and the nation is worried.
Igesund has also opted to use a number of different players down both the left and right flanks with the likes of Siboniso Gaxa and Anele Ngcongca interchanging in the right wing-back position while on the left Tsepo Masilela and Thabo Matlaba are doing the same.
Does the coach go for experience in these positions or does he opt to use the new and enterprising talent at his disposal?
The centre-back pairing and goalkeeper seem to be pretty much set in stone as Itumeleng Khune will occupy the number one jersey while the task of keeping it tight at the back will fall to captain Bongani Khumalo and Siyabonga Sangweni.
In midfield, again it is a question of what type of football Igesund wants to play, attacking or conservative.
He could go with the tried and tested by playing the likes of Siphiwe Tshabalala down the left with Kagisho Dikgacoi and Reneilwe Letsholonyane to hold the midfield.
There is still, however, a big question mark hanging over the right wing position and whether Igesund should employ a more of a 4-1-3-2 formation allowing one holding midfielder to protect the defence while the three attacking midfielders look for scoring options.
But with the tried and tested, Igesund loses out on the talent and possible game breaking abilities of Thulani Serero & May Mahlangu, not to mention the impressive displays Dean Furman has shown in his short tenure as a holding midfield player.
Perhaps the biggest controversy will come over Igesund’s selection of his strikers.
Mphela has been used of late after recently recovering from injury and while he has a good goal scoring history with Bafana, he has failed to impress in the build-up to the tournament.
The coach does have the South African Premier Soccer League’s two top goal scorers in the team in Bernard Parker and Lehlohonolo Majoro (who play together at club level), and he could opt to use their combination which has worked on the domestic front.
But don’t forget Tokelo Ranite who has looked enterprising since joining the Bafana team.
So, with all this in mind we put the question to some MTNfootball.com staff and this is the starting XI they picked.
Brian Lee (Journalist): (4-4-1-1) Khune - Gaxa, Khumalo, Sangweni, Masilela - Phala, Furman, Letsholonyane, Tshabalala - Parker - Mphela
Neil Greig (Journalist): (4-1-3-2) Khune - Gaxa, Sangweni, Khumalo, Matlaba - Dikgacoi - Phala, Serero, Tshabalala - Parker, Mphela
Kgosana Buku (Picture desk editor): (4-4-2) Khune – Ngcongca, Sangweni, Khumalo, Matlaba - Phala, Dikgacoi, Furman, Serero – Parker, Mphela
Junior Mpisane (Journalist): (4-2-3-1): Khune - Ngcongca, Sangweni, Khumalo, Matlaba - Manyisa, Letsholonyane - Tshabalala, Serero, Phala - Parker
Nick Said (Journalist): (4-4-2) Khune – Ngcongca, Sangweni, Khumalo, Matlaba - Phala, Dikgacoi, Furman, Serero – Parker, Mphela
Sydney Mahlangu (Photographer): (4-4-2) Khune – Ngcongca, Sangweni, Khumalo, Matlaba - Phala, Dikgacoi, Letsholonyane, Tshabalala - Parker, Mphela
Who do you think will be Bafana’s starting XI? Send your thought to @MTNfootball on Twitter
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