Publications
Partners
Johannesburg - The South African Football Association have confirmed to Football365.co.za that they may announce Bafana Bafana's new opponent for an international friendly on Sunday.
The association was on the receiving end of an embarrassing situation after securing a contract with the Nigerian Football Federation for a friendly with that country's national team, the Super Eagles, only to be snubbed as the latter preferred Ghana instead of the 2010 World Cup hosts.
According to word in the corridors at SAFA, Bafana could face Burkina Faso on August 10 but the association's vice-president Mandla Mazibuko says the matter has been solely left to head coach Pitso Mosimane to decide upon a new opponent for Bafana.
"If you noticed the CEO (Pinky Lehoko) didn't attend the briefing earlier on regarding the Bafana Bafana name rights issue, because she is working around the clock with the coach to find the opponent for the national team, who are going to replace Nigeria," he said.
"We have left the matter in the coach's hands to decide the country he would prefer to play against the boys. It is possible that we may announce the new opponent by Sunday."
Mazibuko further said that SAFA doesn't hold any grudges against the Nigerians for pulling out of the proposed friendly.
"The Nigeria thing is dead, but we have accepted it because they were decent enough to write to us to apologise," he added.
South Africa will use the friendly to prepare for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier away to Niger on September 2.
The association was on the receiving end of an embarrassing situation after securing a contract with the Nigerian Football Federation for a friendly with that country's national team, the Super Eagles, only to be snubbed as the latter preferred Ghana instead of the 2010 World Cup hosts.
According to word in the corridors at SAFA, Bafana could face Burkina Faso on August 10 but the association's vice-president Mandla Mazibuko says the matter has been solely left to head coach Pitso Mosimane to decide upon a new opponent for Bafana.
"If you noticed the CEO (Pinky Lehoko) didn't attend the briefing earlier on regarding the Bafana Bafana name rights issue, because she is working around the clock with the coach to find the opponent for the national team, who are going to replace Nigeria," he said.
"We have left the matter in the coach's hands to decide the country he would prefer to play against the boys. It is possible that we may announce the new opponent by Sunday."
Mazibuko further said that SAFA doesn't hold any grudges against the Nigerians for pulling out of the proposed friendly.
"The Nigeria thing is dead, but we have accepted it because they were decent enough to write to us to apologise," he added.
South Africa will use the friendly to prepare for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier away to Niger on September 2.
