Amakhosi trio to start in World Cup opener
Amakhosi trio to start in World Cup opener

Posted in News on Jun 10, 2010.

Bafana Bafana held their final training session ahead of their World Cup opener against Mexico on Thursday afternoon at Soccer City.

The session was open to the media for the first fifteen minutes and thereafter coach Carlos Alberto Parreira conducted training behind closed doors.

As he put the finishing touches to his game plan for the Group A clash with CONCACAF Champions Mexico on Friday afternoon.



One thing Parreira has known is for almost a week is who his starting eleven will be when Bafana step out onto the field in front of 97 000 fans to face the Mexicans.

Addressing a media briefing at Soccer City after his final training session Parreira. When questioned as to who his starting eleven will be gave a brief and simple answer saying, “yes I know who will start it is the same team who started the game against Denmark”.



Which means that all three Chiefs players in the Bafana squad will start against Mexico, as the trio were in the starting line up when South Africa defeated Denmark in their final warm up game on the 5th June.

Amakhosi midfielder Reneilwe Letsholonyane who was the man of the match against Denmark will start in the midfield with Chiefs teammate Siphiwe Tshabalala while Itumeleng Khune who kept a clean sheet during the game against Denmark will be in goal for South Africa.



According to Parreira the players have known for a few days that they would be starting the game against Mexico, “we have done tactical training with the same starting eleven and they know already they will be starting”.



With three Chiefs players starting against Mexico it means that it will be the most number of players The Amakhosi will have starting a FIFA World Cup game, previously Chiefs have had just Cyril Nzama start in a World Cup match which was in 2002 when he played in all three of South Africa’s games in Korea / Japan.



The trio will also better the most number of Chiefs players in a FIFA World Cup game, during the 2002 tournament Cyril Nzama started South Africa’s game against Slovenia and Jabu Pule came on as a substitute which meant Chiefs at one time had two players in that game.

On Friday Chiefs will have three representatives in the starting eleven; Itumeleng Khune will become the first Chiefs goalkeeper to play in a FIFA World Cup.

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