Parreira to join Bafana in Swaziland

Against medical and Safa advice to "take it easy" after being in hospital last week for complications related to a broken rib, Bafana Bafana coach Carlos Alberto Parreira will travel to Swaziland to oversee what could be a more tricky Cosafa Cup programme over the weekend than many imagine.

And while there is a possibility the worldly, experienced coach will not be on the bench to do the spade work for Saturday's game against Malawi, Parreira is a firm believer in the dictum that "no game should be taken for granted" - and he will want to make sure nothing goes wrong, no matter what his vantage point.


The Bafana coach has also emphasised that players from what is effectively a Bafana B squad who shine in the games against Malawi on Saturday and possibly Swaziland on Sunday could earn a call-up to join the "senior" complement of 19 who have already been named for the African Nations Cup qualifier against Chad in Durban on June 2.

In the first instance, however, Malawi have intimated their determination to upstage Bafana by selecting a near-full-strength squad, which includes a number of players from clubs in the Premier League.

And, should Bafana overcome the Malawi hurdle, the likelihood is that they will face equally determined opposition only 24 hours later.

The two-day Cosafa programme acts as a qualifying segment for the semi-finals, which will be made up of holders Zambia and the winners of three separate qualifying groups.

And after 10 years of competition, the warning signs are somewhat foreboding for Bafana - who have only won the annual competition once during this period.

The Bafana squad departed for Swaziland on Thursday afternoon under the tutelage of assistant coaches Jairo Leal and Pitso Mosimane, with Parreira due to join them in Mbabane on Friday.