Pitso Mosimane has confirmed that Aubrey Modiba is battling a tight hamstring, after the left-back was forced off during Bafana Bafana’s 2-1 win over Guinea in their opening AFCON qualifier, reports iDiskiTimes.
Modiba failed to see out the match at Orlando Amstel Arena, making way for Samukele Kabini, who went on to score the winning goal. Speaking afterwards, Mosimane explained that the physical demands placed on his full-backs had ultimately proven too much for the Mamelodi Sundowns defender.
MORE: 8/10 – Rating Bafana’s first performance under Pitso Mosimane
“Aubrey is overloaded, my full-backs were on duty tonight. So, Aubrey is overloaded, but we have Kabini,” Mosimane said.
“Sebelebele is younger, and he can take the load, this guy can run all the time. So, Aubrey’s got a tight hamstring, which is not nice for us, but at least we still have Basadien, and we still have Kabini.”
With Modiba’s fitness for Wednesday’s trip to face Eritrea now uncertain, Mosimane pointed to the depth of his 30-man squad as a key safeguard against exactly this kind of setback.
“Hence, we called 30 players, so you can see now, people are falling off, and we just played one match. I know it’s not easy for the football association to be giving me 30 players,” he said.
ALSO: Mbokazi makes long-awaited return in Chicago Fire win
“But if we want to be at that level of the results, because this is the reality, this is the reality, so I don’t call 30 because I choose to call 30. Jurgen Klopp called 42, 42 players, he’s got four friendly games, I couldn’t do four, because I don’t want the coaches at Glasgow to be angry with me, and upset with me, that I’m playing four games, and all that.
“But Jurgen Klopp can do that, I’m not Jurgen Klopp, it’s not easy, but yeah, and also I want to forge relationships with the teams, and give them the players before the FIFA break ends so that when I ask for a favour, also they should return the favour.
AFRICA PICKS: Football tips and predictions
“So, I would like to play four, but yeah, and those are the last friendly games until AFCON finals, after that, there’s no any other space, so we need to stay with this team and wait for others to come.”
Photo: Zamani Makautsi/Gallo Images
