On announcing his provisional 34-man squad for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), last week, Bafana Bafana Shakes Mashaba was at pains to stress that it was not cast in stone. Players left out still had an opportunity as he continued to mull over his options.
The tournament takes place in Equatorial Guinea from January 17 to February 8 next year.
Now reports suggest that Mashaba may have a few tweaks in mind before he releases his final 23-man squad for Afcon duty on December 30.
Two names regularly mentioned are Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune and Polokwane City midfielder Cole Alexander.
Khune, once the captain and regular number one of Bafana, had been out injured for three months. He is back, fit and ready, and sitting on the Soweto club’s bench, which is perhaps why Mashaba omitted him, probably scared off by Khune’s lack of recent game time.
But a glance at the goalkeepers in the Afcon squad – Darren Keet (KV Kortrijk, Belgium), Brilliant Khuzwayo, (Kaizer Chiefs), Jackson Mabokgwane (Mpumalanga Black Aces) and Siyabonga Mpontshane (Platinum Stars) – reveals a decided lack of international experience. Mpontshane, in fact, is not even a regular at his club.
Khune’s wealth of experience, charisma and leadership ability would be a strong shoulder to lean on, even if he is just a squad member.
And, then, there’s Alexander.
With Ajax Cape Town’s current troubles, they must be wandering around the corridors of the club’s headquarters in Parow wondering just how they allowed this top-class midfielder to get away.
Alexander is a product of the Cape club’s successful youth academy, but was never considered good enough. He simply never got sufficient opportunities.
The Mitchell’s Plain man was even sent on loan to Vasco da Gama and Chippa United, where he performed admirably. Yet, always on his return to Ajax, he was back struggling to make the starting team.
When Roger de Sa arrived, it looked again like Alexander was going to struggle.
The lad from Lentegeur admits that he could see the writing on the wall – he wasn’t in De Sa’s plans for the season.
So, when Boebie Solomons approached him to head north and play for Polokwane, he jumped at the chance.
He knew it would be tough, he knew the changed environment would be a challenge, but he was desperate to play.
He knew he had it within him to make it at the top, and he took the chance.
And what an inspired decision it proved to be.
Solomons, the man who took him to the Limpopo Province club, has since been fired, re-surfacing at National First Division side, Cape Town All Stars, and replaced by Serbian Kosta Papic.
Alexander acknowledges the role Solomons played in his sensational revelation this season, and says the Cape Town coach was just unlucky in that he didn’t get the results during his time there.
But the foundation he built has been carried on impressively by Papic, with Alexander an influential member of the squad’s magnificent form in the campaign.
He’s held things together in midfield, scored some cracking goals, and has played with composure and maturity. Alexander is blossoming and, on current form, he is certainly one of the best performers in the PSL at the moment.
And, rest assured, Mashaba has been watching.
Don’t be surprised if Alexander gets a late call to join the Bafana squad. If it happens, he will certainly have deserved it.
Ajax’s loss has been Polokwane’s gain… and now it could also pay dividends for Bafana. - Cape Argus