Pretoria - Cabinet has wished Bafana Bafana well ahead of their two crucial 2015 Morocco Orange Africa Cup of Nations qualifier encounters.
Briefing reporters on Thursday during a post-Cabinet briefing, Minister in the Presidency responsible for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Jeff Radebe, said Bafana will play their first match against Sudan on 5 September in Khartoum, which is a qualifier for next year’s continental showpiece.
Bafana Bafana, who left to Khartoum, Sudan, on Wednesday, will play at the Merreikh stadium at 8pm on Friday.
The team returns soon after the match, upon landing at the OR Tambo International Airport, they will connect straight to Cape Town to start preparations for the next qualifier match against reigning African champions Nigeria, which will take place at Cape Town Stadium, on 10 September.
Banyana Banyana
Cabinet has also congratulated Banyana Banyana and Amajita and wished them well ahead of the major tournaments they will be playing.
Amajita have joined Banyana Banyana in qualifying for a major continental tournament.
Banyana Banyana will be playing in the 9th edition of the African Women’s Championships which will be staged in Namibia in October, and are also on the verge of qualifying for the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada.
“Cabinet urges South Africans to rally behind these teams in their quest for glory,” said Minister Radebe.
Karate World Cup
Minister Radebe said Cabinet also welcomes participants from across the world who will be attending the 4th Kyokushin Karate World Cup tournament to be held on 6 September at Chief Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre, in Durban.
Minister Radebe said the tournament, which seeks to promote karate as a sport to the youth given its benefits in instilling self-discipline, self-defence, focus and also in promoting social crime prevention, will be officially opened by President Jacob Zuma. - SAnews.gov.za
