DAKAR – South Africa will be well represented at Tuesday's CAF Awards ceremony in Dakar, Senegal.
Safa president Danny Jordaan is in the city not only to attend the ceremony but be part of the decision on who will host the 2019 Afcon tournament in June. CAF will on Wednesday make the announcement on who between South Africa and Egypt will replace Cameroon as the 2019 hosts.
The continental football body stripped Cameroon of the rights to host Afcon after the Central African country was deemed far from being ready to host the event which now will consist of 24 teams.
The tournament has been expanded from 16 to 24 teams and will now take place from June as from next year.
After several inspections, CAF took the decision late last year that Cameroon was not ready to host the expanded tournament, leaving South Africa and Egypt as replacement candidates.
Joining Jordaan in Senegal are coach of the Sasol-sponsored Banyana Banyana Desiree Ellis and striker Thembi Kgatlana.
The duo is in line for CAF awards – Ellis for Coach of the Year, who will also be hoping that South Africa retains the Team of the Year trophy they won last year.
Kgatlana is vying for the top title of the CAF Woman Player of the Year – and will have to fight off the challenge of Nigerian duo of Asisat Oshoala and Fransisca Ordega.
Thembi Kgatlana is vying for the top title of the CAF Woman Player of the Year. Photo: Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix
This is Kgatlana’s second consecutive nomination for the same award – which she lost to Oshoala. Noko Matlou is the only South Africa to have won that award in 2008.
Kgatlana is also competing for the CAF Goal of the Year award for her strike when Banyana Banyana defeated Nigeria 1-0 in their opening match of the 2018 Women’s Afcon held in Ghana in November.
The goal which saw Banyana Banyana defeat Nigeria in the opening game of the competition also earned Kgatlana the Player of the Match of Award.
The Goal of the Year winner will be decided via online public voting.