Soccer
Mphela: Benni and I will fire
2009-11-16 13:23
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Johannesburg - Striker Katlego Mphela believes his combination with Benni McCarthy will start producing the goods for Bafana Bafana.
Mphela told
Football365.co.za that although the partnership didn't work well against Japan on Saturday at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, things could be different in Tuesday's clash with Jamaica.
"What we need to understand is that Benni hasn't been playing regular football at Blackburn Rovers for a very long time, so it can't be easy for him at the moment.
"But I think he still did well and I believe once he is back to full fitness, we are going to form a deadly combination, which will cause havoc for a lot of teams.
"I was also playing in a new role, as I had to go back and help in midfield and then go back to assist Benni upfront, which didn't make things easy at all for me, but now that I understand what the Coach expect me to do, I hope I will do better against Jamaica tomorrow."
Mphela added that Bafana's performance against Japan shouldn't be discounted as the Blue Samurai are a formidable outfit.
"I also think the draw against Japan wasn't a bad result. Remember they had won their last five games, before playing against us and they have qualified for the World Cup too, so they were coming with a lot of confidence and that's why I feel we did well to contain them," he said.
Mphela believes Jamaica will also pose a tough challenge against Jamaica.
"I know they are a very physical team, so this game is not going to be easy for us at all. We are also still trying to understand what Coach Carlos Alberto Parreira wants from us, but I believe we are on the right track," concluded the striker.