Furman says current Bafana Bafana squad the most competitive he has been a part of

SuperSport United midfielder Dean Furman‚ who will start for Bafana Bafana in the friendly against Guinea-Bissau in Durban on Saturday afternoon‚ says this is one of the most competitive national squads he has been a part of.

Furman will partner often-overlooked FC Twente star Kamohelo Mokotjo in central midfield against the 80th-ranked West Africans at Moses Mabhida Stadium.

Highlighting a central midfield in the squad packed with class to choose from in himself‚ Mokotjo‚ Mamelodi Sundowns' duo of Hlompo Kekana and Tiyani Mabunda and KV Oostende's Andile Jali‚ Furman said theirs has been a healthy level of competition at training this week.

• Mokotjo to start for Bafana against Guinea-BissauFinally‚ after a week of citizenship issues and having been overlooked on so many occasions before‚ Kamohelo Mokotjo will start a match for Bafana Bafana. 

“I think it’s great at the moment. You look all over the squad and no-one can say‚ ‘I’m playing’. Everyone's fighting for a position‚" Furman said.

"If I look at it from my point‚ competition for those midfield positions is extremely high.

"Everyone's at the top of their game at the moment‚ we're all pushing ourselves to be better. And that can only be healthy for us as a national team.

"There are some players who are not even here. Bongani Zungu has been coming back to form at Vitoria Guimaraes in Portugal and of course I'm sure he's looking to get back into the squad.

"And it's great to have that level of competition. It's difficult for the coach Owen Da Gama to select his team but hopefully over the next two games everybody will get a run‚” he said.

• Delron Buckley says Safa cost Bafana Bafana the 2002 World Cup game against SpainBafana Bafana players were hauled out of their rooms at 11pm by South African Football Association delegates on the night before their 2002 World Cup match against Spain‚ says ex-national team midfielder Delron Buckley. 

“Keep preparing‚ keep forming partnerships and hopefully by the time the World Cup and Afcon qualifiers come around we'll have that settled pairing‚ or however the coach wants to set it up‚ and be ready.

"But competition is at the highest I've ever seen‚ and that can onlty be healthy for us."

Bafana‚ ranked 62nd in the world‚ follow the game against 80th-ranked Guinea-Bissau with Tuesday's international friendly against 147th-placed Angola in East London on Tuesday.

 - TMG Digital/TMG Sport