Bafana Bafana's new coach may be watching and there is all to play for in the international friendlies against Guinea-Bissau and Angola‚ midfielder Dean Furman has said.
The South African Football Association's (Safa) National Executive Committee are to hold a workshop and meetings in Durban this weekend where the issue of ratification of the new coach is sure to be discussed.
Despite weeks of delaying an announcement on the successor to Ehpraim "Shakes" Mashaba‚ sacked in December‚ Safa have been adamant that they have identified their man‚ and processes are being carried out to appoint him.
Furman said‚ with the possibility of that man watching Saturday's game against Guinea-Bissau at Moses Mabhida Stadium and Tuesday's match against Angola on East London‚ Bafana's players have everything to play for.
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Caretaker-coach Owen Da Gama's selection of a number of new in-form faces such as Percy Tau and Phakamani Mahlambi‚ and recall of players such as Kermit Erasmus‚ Kamohelo Mokotjo‚ Lebogang Manyama‚ is sure to ramp up the competitiveness from Bafana.
"For all we know the coach is watching these games and taking notes on who he likes and doesn't like.
"So for us‚ the new coach may not be here in person‚ but we know he may be watching‚ so there's all to play for as individuals‚" Bafana vice-captain Furman said on Friday.
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"But also‚ winning breeds confidence and gets the nation behind us‚ and that’s what we want. We've got huge games coming up and a massively important year.
"On our first day of camp the team manager (Barney Kujane) went though the year coming up and it's massive for us as a nation.
"We've got Africa Cup of Nations and World Cup qualifiers‚ and these are competitions that we want to be playing in.
"It was a huge disappointment not to be at this year's Afcon. I can't say I watched much of it myself because I felt like we should have been there and it was actually hard to watch.
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"So that hurt is still there‚ and we better make sure we are at these competitions. None more so than the Afcon‚ but the World Cup as well is the pinnacle of anyone's career.
"So for us these are no games where we can take our foot off the gas. We have to be full-blooded‚ 100 percent.
"And as I say the new coach may be watching and it's another chance for us to impress."
Guinea-Bissau are ranked 80th in the world‚ Angola 147th‚ and South Africa 62nd.
- TMG Digital/TMG Sport
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