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Teboho Mokoena’s brace was instrumental in Bafana’s 5-0 win over Republic of Congo. Picture: SYDNEY MAHLANGU/BACKPAGEPIX
Teboho Mokoena’s brace was instrumental in Bafana’s 5-0 win over Republic of Congo. Picture: SYDNEY MAHLANGU/BACKPAGEPIX

Bafana Bafana were dealt a blow ahead of their African Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifier when striker Lyle Foster was withdrawn from the squad to face Republic of Congo in Brazzaville on Tuesday.

The striker sustained a knee injury in Friday’s match in which he scored in the 5-0 win against Congo in Gqeberha. The injury does not need surgery and Foster is to return to his English club, Burnley, to start his rehabilitation.

Bafana coach Hugo Broos said at the weekend Mamelodi Sundowns’ Iqraam Rayners would fill in for Foster if the striker was ruled out. “If we have to change, I can tell you now I have full confidence in Iqraam. That guy, when he has to play on Tuesday, he will be ready, I am sure,” he said.

On target for Bafana last Friday were Teboho Mokoena, with a brace, and Bathusi Aubaas, Foster and Rayners.

At the same time Broos has expressed concern about the state of the pitch at Stade Alphonse Massamba-Debat in Brazzaville. 

Bafana are three points from securing a place in the next Nations Cup in Morocco, which straddles December 2025 and January 2026. A win on Tuesday will secure Bafana their place.

The last time Bafana played in Congo was also in a Nations Cup qualifier, in Pointe Noire on October 11 2014, when 17-year-old Rivaldo Coetzee became SA’s youngest debutant in a 2-0 win to Shakes Mashaba’s men. That match was also played on an ageing synthetic surface with low bounce.

“My only concern is to see the pitch there. It’s a synthetic pitch,” Broos said.

“We’ve already had bad experiences with synthetic pitches in the past. The one in Rwanda was really bad,” he said referring to in SA’s 2-0 World Cup qualifying defeat in November 2023.

“I never understand how you can play a qualifier for a World Cup on such a pitch. But OK, let’s look first at that and if the pitch is like the one in South Sudan [for Bafana’s 3-2 Afcon win last month], then we can’t complain.”

The Belgian acknowledged Congo will be desperate to avenge the heavy defeat they suffered at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Friday, and urged his players to be at their best again.

“Let’s hope the pitch is good and we can play our best football like we are used to because this team will want revenge.

“They lost 5-0. There will be pressure on the guys. So, we have to prepare for that also and be ready again for a difficult game. If we can achieve our level and play with the same mentality, we have a big opportunity to win the game also.”

Bafana are second in group K with seven points after two wins and a draw in their three matches. Uganda leads the group on goal difference.

Broos, however, was satisfied with an improved performance on Friday and is hoping for the same on Tuesday.

“What can I say after a performance like that? It was amazing, the way we started the game, the way we played football ... this was something I always wanted to see from this team.”

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