Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune will face a late fitness to determine his readiness for Friday's 2018 World Cup showdown against Senegal at Peter Mokaba Stadium.
The Bafana technical team feels confident that Khune will feature in the qualifier as he appears to be coping with the facial injury he sustained playing for his club Kaizer Chiefs against Chippa United last weekend.
The 30-year-old did some light training with the national team on Wednesday morning after arriving from Johannesburg and in the second session in the afternoon‚ he got involved in full training wearing a face mask.
According to Bafana coach Stuart Baxter‚ Khune’s situation looks promising.
“Itu‚ we are more hopeful... In the afternoon‚ we put him between the sticks and there was a shooting drill.
"He felt quite good and wore a mask‚” Baxter explained during a media briefing on Thursday.
“If we are not sure that Itu feels comfortable enough to give a performance‚ we will not risk him.
"I think it’s important that he feels he can give a performance.
"He’s a mature player and he knows the level that’s demanded of a goalkeeper of Bafana Bafana and he knows the opposition and the importance of the game.
“I don’t think he can tell us he’s fit if he’s not.
"So we will monitor him again‚ but we are more hopeful today than we were two days ago.
"Does that mean he’s certain to play? No‚ it doesn’t.
"It will still be a last minute fitness test to decide‚” Baxter clarified.
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