PANAPRESS
Panafrican News Agency
2015 AFCON: Confident South African squad departs for Gabon ahead of tourney
Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) – South Africa’s national squad on Wednesday afternoon departed for Gabon on its way to Equatorial Guinea for the 2015 Orange Africa Cup of Nations tournament, PANA reported here.
The squad is due to fly directly to Libreville, the capital of Gabon, after an overnight stop in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Ahead of their departure from Johannesburg’s OR Tambo Airport, the players met with Minister of Sports and Recreation, Fikile Mbalula, who was accompanied by the President of the South African Football Association (SAFA), Danny Jordaan.
Mbalula said the team has "come of age" by qualifying for the continental showpiece for the first time since 2008. "This is a special moment for South Africa. You have restored the glory and pride of the nation."
Speaking ahead of the departure, winger Thuso Phala said anyone undermining South Africa at the tournament will be doing so at their own peril. “If the other countries want to see us as underdogs it will be to their disadvantage, if you think about it with the players we have we booked our place in Equatorial Guinea with a game remaining but they still had to wait for the last match to qualify. That said, I see us as one of the favourites in our group,” he said.
Bafana Bafana’s opening match in the tournament is against Algeria on Monday, 19 January, followed by the clash with Senegal on Friday, 23 January, with the last group stage match against Ghana on Tuesday, 27 January.
South Africa will play all their group stage matches in Mongomo.
-0- PANA CU/VAO 7Jan2015
The squad is due to fly directly to Libreville, the capital of Gabon, after an overnight stop in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Ahead of their departure from Johannesburg’s OR Tambo Airport, the players met with Minister of Sports and Recreation, Fikile Mbalula, who was accompanied by the President of the South African Football Association (SAFA), Danny Jordaan.
Mbalula said the team has "come of age" by qualifying for the continental showpiece for the first time since 2008. "This is a special moment for South Africa. You have restored the glory and pride of the nation."
Speaking ahead of the departure, winger Thuso Phala said anyone undermining South Africa at the tournament will be doing so at their own peril. “If the other countries want to see us as underdogs it will be to their disadvantage, if you think about it with the players we have we booked our place in Equatorial Guinea with a game remaining but they still had to wait for the last match to qualify. That said, I see us as one of the favourites in our group,” he said.
Bafana Bafana’s opening match in the tournament is against Algeria on Monday, 19 January, followed by the clash with Senegal on Friday, 23 January, with the last group stage match against Ghana on Tuesday, 27 January.
South Africa will play all their group stage matches in Mongomo.
-0- PANA CU/VAO 7Jan2015
