Mamelodi Sundowns star defender, Lyle Lakay, has revealed Bafana Bafana players are in a good state of mind ahead of their clash with Morocco on Thursday night
Mamelodi Sundowns star defender, Lyle Lakay, has revealed Bafana Bafana players are in a good state of mind ahead of their opening Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier game against Morocco this evening at Prince Moulay Abdallah Stadium.
Having failed to qualify for the FIFA World Cup hosted in Qatar later this year, Bafana Bafana has turned attention to AFCON, with chances of qualifying made simpler by the ban on Zimbabwe. The ban means Bafana Bafana only needs to finish second in the three-team group, completed by Liberia.
Hugo Broos’ men were smacked 5-0 by world champions France in their last away game and also lost a key away game against Ghana away before that, albeit under curious circumstances.
Speaking ahead of their game against the Lion Atlas, Lakay says all that is behind them now, and they are fully focused on the task at hand.
“The Bafana Bafana camp is buzzing with positivity. It helps that the core of the team remains the same, and a happy team means good results in my opinion. We play against each other in the league, and so we are not strangers, we are friends, ready to battle for our place and our country,” Lakay said speaking to SAFA’s media team.
Final training session - tomorrow is a big day! We are ready!!! #BafanaPride #AFCON2023Q #AFCONQualifiers pic.twitter.com/A9IamYRchE
— Bafana Bafana (@BafanaBafana) June 8, 2022
Last season, Lakay walked away with the ‘Defender of the Season’ accolade at the Premier Soccer League awards after helping his side win the fifth title in a row. For now, though, he says he’s fully focused on international duty.
“I have not digested anything yet. It has been a whirlwind from the league, travel, awards, and now in camp. I will let it all sink in after the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against Morocco, I think I’ll take it all in then. For now, a lot is expected and I still need to perform and remain focused,” he said.
With Terrence Mashego released from the camp due to an injury, Lakay is most likely to start against Morocco in Rabat. If he does start, he will be handed the huge task of keeping PSG’s Achraf Hakimi at bay. The game kicks off at 9 PM.
