Posted in News on Oct 12, 2004.
Austria-based star midfielder Jabu Pule for the November 17
Nelson
Mandela Challenge.
Pule has been doing extremely well since joining Mattersburg FC
at the
beginning of the season after being recruited by the club's
coach Muhsin
Ertugral.
Ertugral used to coach Pule at Chiefs.
The talented Pule last featured for Bafana Bafana during the
African
Nations Cup qualifying rounds in October after going absent
without
leave
at Chiefs.
Various soccer experts, including former Bafana Bafana coach
Jomo Sono
and Ertugral, has been urging Baxter to recall Pule to stabilise
the
midfield.
Mbulelo Mabizela will also be included in the team to play
against the
Super Eagles after missing Sunday's 2006 World Cup qualifier
against
Uganda
in Kampala.
Mabizela, who plays for English Premiership side Tottenham
Hotspur, did
not go to Kampala since he was serving a one match suspension in
the game
won 1-0 by Bafana Bafana.
South African Football Association acting chief executive
officer Albert
Mokoena has confirmed the eagerly-awaited November 17 against
the Super
Eagles.
Mokoena said the deal for the match has been signed and sealed
by the
two federations.
He added that Safa will announce the venue
after
discussions
with Baxter and his technical staff.
Johannesburg, Durban and Bloemfontein are reported to be bidding
to host
the match which is expected to attract football lovers from as
far as
Botswana, Zimbabwe and Swaziland.
The two football federations have agreed that Nigeria will
select their
strongest possible squad, which is expected to include the big
names
like
Jay-Jay Okocha, Yakubu Aiyegbeni and Obafemi Martins.
The game affords South Africa a golden opportunity to beat
Nigeria for
the
first time at international level since the country's return to the
international community in 1992.
The best result at national level when Basetsana (the South
African
Under-19 national squad) played to a goalless draw with Nigeria
during
the
World Cup qualifier in Abuja last month.