Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos' preferred left-back Terrence Mashego had to be left behind with an injury as the team departed for Rabat this weekend for Thursday's 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Morocco.
Bafana open their Group K qualifying campaign against 2021 Nations Cup quarterfinalists and 2022 Qatar World Cup qualifiers Morocco at Stade Prince Moulay Abdallah (9pm SA time).
Mashego, who started in four of SA's six 2022 World Cup group stage qualifiers last year and in the 5-0 friendly defeat to world champions France in Lille in late March, did not make the trip as he has a knee injury.
“It's a bad situation but I think it's not a bad injury — it's just a tear to the meniscus, so I believe it will heal fast,” the Cape Town City left-back said.
“I was looking forward to the game but we still have Lyle Lakay and Innocent Maela [in the squad] who I believe will do the job.”
SA flew to Morocco via Doha in Qatar.
Morocco, ranked 24th in the world and second in Africa to Nations Cup champions Senegal, are the overwhelming favourites to win the three-team Group K.
Zimbabwe's expulsion from the qualifiers has opened the way for Bafana (69th in the world, 13th in Africa) to have an easier qualification, provided they avoid a not uncharacteristic choke in their two games against weakest team Liberia (149th in the world).
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Bafana leave for Morocco without coach Broos' preferred left-back
Image: Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images
Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos' preferred left-back Terrence Mashego had to be left behind with an injury as the team departed for Rabat this weekend for Thursday's 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Morocco.
Bafana open their Group K qualifying campaign against 2021 Nations Cup quarterfinalists and 2022 Qatar World Cup qualifiers Morocco at Stade Prince Moulay Abdallah (9pm SA time).
Mashego, who started in four of SA's six 2022 World Cup group stage qualifiers last year and in the 5-0 friendly defeat to world champions France in Lille in late March, did not make the trip as he has a knee injury.
“It's a bad situation but I think it's not a bad injury — it's just a tear to the meniscus, so I believe it will heal fast,” the Cape Town City left-back said.
“I was looking forward to the game but we still have Lyle Lakay and Innocent Maela [in the squad] who I believe will do the job.”
SA flew to Morocco via Doha in Qatar.
Morocco, ranked 24th in the world and second in Africa to Nations Cup champions Senegal, are the overwhelming favourites to win the three-team Group K.
Zimbabwe's expulsion from the qualifiers has opened the way for Bafana (69th in the world, 13th in Africa) to have an easier qualification, provided they avoid a not uncharacteristic choke in their two games against weakest team Liberia (149th in the world).
Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.
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