Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso - A locust invasion, surprise artificial pitch and late arrivals summed up Bafana Bafana’s first day here, where they face hosts Burkina Faso in a 2018 World Cup qualifier on Saturday at the Stade du 4 Aout at 8pm (SA time).
Shakes Mashaba’s men touched down to extremely hot conditions in Ouagadougou where the real work began following a comfortable sleepover at the Radisson Blue – a five-star hotel with a palatable dinner and breakfast meal – in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
The neighbouring country was in complete contrast. While the heat in West Africa is generally a given, the Palace Hotel was a downgrade, but shouldn’t distract the coach and his troops from keeping their eyes fixed firmly on the prize – three points against an improving Burkina Faso side this weekend in their opening World Cup qualifier.
Group D also includes Senegal and Cape Verde, who will clash two hours later on the same day in Dakar.
Bafana finally managed to squeeze in their first training session at the Stade Municipal, a venue with an artificial pitch. Team manager Barney Kujane said the national team’s late arrival in Ouagadougou meant that they could not get access to the match venue – one with standard grass – because there was no lighting for Mashaba to take the players through their paces in the evening.
The alternative training pitch had plenty lighting, but with a touch of a swarm of locusts.
Defender Isaac Nhlapho and midfielder Ayanda Patosi are expected to arrive only on Thursday morning having taken a different connecting flight from South Africa as they were unable to get visas to fly with the rest of the team to Abidjan on Tuesday.
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Independent Media