Bafana face tough schedule in opening 2021 Afcon qualifiers

by Staff Reporter

Wednesday Oct 23, 2019. 10:00

South Africa will face a tough mix of two games in four days and travel across the continent when they start their 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualification campaign next month.

Bafana Bafana have announced the dates for their first two qualifiers, though intriguingly not the kick-off times after they had rejected the first proposal put forward by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

Bafana will take on Ghana in Accra on November 14, before a home meeting with Sudan at the Orlando Stadium four days later.

CAF had wanted to give the Sudan clash a 9pm kick-off, which was rejected by South African Football Association as being too inconvenient for fans.

”No one will come out to watch at that time of night before a working day. I’ve told CAF we can only play on a Sunday afternoon, not evening,” SAFA acting CEO Russell Paul said.

The fact that they have not listed the kick-off times in announcing the fixtures suggests those talks are still on-going.

CAF had initially wanted Bafana to play on November 15 and then two days later, which SAFA also rejected.

It will still be a tough double-header for new Bafana coach Molefi Ntseki, even if Sudan are a shadow of their former selves, when you mix in the travel which should see the side arrive home on the evening of November 15 and give them just a single day to prepare for the Sudan game.