CAPE TOWN- Bafana Bafana head coach Stuart Baxter has hailed the inaugural Four Nations tournament in Zambia as a resounding success after beating the hosts 2-0 in Saturday’s final to lift the trophy.
South Africa participated in the tournament with three other nations, Angola, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The tournament was held in Ndola, Zambia from March 21-24 at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium.
Baxter picked a young squad to participate with a mixture of experience. The exciting new talent included the likes of Siphesihle Ndlovu (21), Ryan Moon (21), Motjeka Madisha (23), Teboho Mokoena (21), Reeve Frosler (20) and Maphosa Modiba (22) were all given a chance during the tournament.
Baxter said, “This was indeed a fruitful exercise for the technical team as well as the players,” Baxter said. “We had two highly competitive opponents in a short space of time and did well in both games. We played two different teams because we wanted everyone to play, especially the kids and they really held their own in tough conditions.”
“I need to give credit to the coaches in the Absa Premiership. If you look at the time we had with the team, it was very short but for them to quickly adapt to instructions and the tactics we wanted for both matches is something to be complimented.”
This victory is a step in the right direction for Baxter’s team as they prepare for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers, were Bafana Bafana are joint leaders in Group D with Libya, follwed by Nigeria and Seychelles.
Photo Credit- Soccer Laduma
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