Senzo Meyiwa has called for discipline as Bafana Bafana prepare to take on African champions Nigeria in their next Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Cape Town on Wednesday.
The Bafana Bafana captain, who was surprised to get the armband for the clash against Sudan on Friday, has been encouraged by the national team’s impressive start in the qualifiers and believes the team have what it takes to finally get one over the Super Eagles.
Bafana beat Sudan 3-0 at El Merreikh – thanks to a brace from Sibusiso Vilakazi and another from striker Bongani Ndulula – and are high on confidence going into their game against Nigeria, who face a Fifa ban if Chris Gewa fails to step down as president of the football federation by today’s deadline.
“The coach was announcing the starting line-up and then it came as a surprise when he told me I should lead the team. Maybe he has faith in me and saw that I am the right person to lead the team on the day. Every player wants to see himself progress in life, so seeing myself as captain is a big achievement and an honour. It is motivating,” the goalkeeper said before the team flew out to the Mother City on Saturday morning to get their preparations for the next game under way.
“Nigeria is a big country and we know playing them won’t be easy. We need to keep the discipline, like we did against Sudan,” added the 26-year-old.
Vilakazi may have been the hero for Bafana in the victory over Sudan on Friday with his brace, but Meyiwa deserves credit for his impressive performance in his first game as captain. Meyiwa kept Bafana in the game in the first half, making splendid saves to deny the hosts who kept hoofing the ball forward with the aim of forcing a mistake from the visiting defence.
“They put pressure on us in the first half, but we kept the shape. I think we did well. We knew they would be tired in the second half and that’s when we punished them. We are happy we got the win.”
Meyiwa, who has a lot of experience playing around the continent after a fairy-tale CAF Champions League campaign with the Buccaneers last season, gave his first team talk as captain in the game against the Sudanese team and warned his players not to underestimate the hosts, who are ranked 115th in the world, 49 places below Bafana.
“Obviously as a captain you need to lead so before the game I said something to the boys. I told them it would not be an easy game. Even if the team we are playing against are an ordinary team, I reminded the boys it would not be easy,” said Meyiwa, who admires Real Madrid and Spanish goalkeeping legend Iker Casillas.
“Everything that Iker does on the field of play, I learn from him because he is not the tallest goalkeeper – like me.
“I cannot learn from a tall goalkeeper like Petr Cech.”
Meyiwa will have to be at his best yet again on Wednesday in the Mother City to stop the Nigerians, who are wounded after their 3-2 defeat to Congo at the weekend. - The Star