Mahlambi and Singh to get an opportunity to show what they're made of against Angola

26 March 2017 - 14:03 By Marc Strydom
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Owen Da Gama during the South African national soccer squad announcement at SAFA House on August 20, 2015 in Johannesburg, South Africa
Owen Da Gama during the South African national soccer squad announcement at SAFA House on August 20, 2015 in Johannesburg, South Africa
Image: Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images

Phakamani Mahlambi and Luther Singh will get game time‚ whether starting or from the bench‚ in Bafana Bafana’s friendly international against Angola in East London on Tuesday‚ SA’s caretaker-coach Owen Da Gama has promised.

Bafana dealt with the first part of their bridging phase between the era of previous coach Shakes Mashaba‚ sacked in December‚ and the new man‚ to be announced this week‚ admirably with a 3-1 win against Guinea-Bissau on Saturday.

There were tremendously encouraging returns for Kamohelo Mokotjo in midfield and Kermit Erasmus up-front at Moses Mabhida Stadium.

Percy Tau made a blistering “debut” that never was a debut‚ scoring a gem.

Tau had been fielded in the African Nations Championship (Chan) aggregate qualifying defeat against Angola in 2015‚ though that fact somehow had even eluded the player.

At any rate‚ it was a fine start to his career for the senior team.

Mahlambi was not on the bench and Singh at one stage warmed up‚ but did not come on.

Da Gama promised to continue the happy feeling he has managed to engender so far for the national team as caretaker ahead of the appointment of a new coach‚ and field the two teenagers against Angola at Buffalo City Stadium.

“It was very difficult selecting the team in the first place. You want to give players an opportunity to play‚ you want to get combinations‚” Da Gama said after the win against 80th-ranked Guinea-Bissau‚ qualifiers for this year’s Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon.

“You want to try and get to a type of soccer that suits South African players‚ and that we believe suits us. And that is possession of the ball.

“I think we were very happy with the combination play‚ which was there to see. It just shows the rich talent that we have got in this country.

“Yes‚ there were some players who played together in a competitive match for the first time. But we had to start somewhere.

“We had to really‚ not just play a normal friendly. It had to be a full international friendly where you could really see the full value of the players‚ and the different qualities.

“And then you understand how to utilise them going forward.

“We were never going to select one very strong team and then a weaker team [in the two games]. We wanted to select two very strong teams. And that was not easy.

“But the technical team put their minds together and we came up with what we believed to be a good team.

“It’s an opportunity. For this game we made six changes and we'll do that again in the next game.

“We'll give everybody and opportunity to play – the two youngsters [Mahlambi and Singh] will play as well.

“Because I think it’s important. Yes‚ the results are important. But we must be brave enough to give the youngsters an opportunity to play. It’s the only way that we can move forward.”

Kermit Erasmus’s 36th-minute penalty and substitute Tau’s beautifully struck 70th minute strike put Bafana ahead.

Aldair pulled on back for Guinea-Bissau in the 78th before substitute Andile Jali buried a second penalty in the 89th.

- TMG Digital/TMG Sport

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