Bafana Bafana plan to use PE wind to their advantage against Mali

Coach Molefi Ntseki says Bafana Bafana will use Port Elizabeth's notorious wind to their advantage if needs be when they take on Mali in the Nelson Mandela Challenge at NMB Stadium on Sunday.

The national team arrived in the Bay on Tuesday afternoon and had their first training under chilly and blustery conditions at Wolfson Stadium on Wednesday. 

Ntseki said the reason for their early arrival in the city was to make sure his players adjust well to the weather conditions.

“What is comforting is that we have players who come from Port Elizabeth and they will he help other players adjust easily to the weather conditions. To  say: ‘Look this is the weather here. Let the weather not be our stumbling block against Mali . . .  we should use the weather to our advantage against them.’”

Sunday’s fixture will be Ntseki’s first assignment after taking over the reins as the national’s team head coach from Stuart Baxter in August.

“It's happening and we are very positive as we were ahead of the failed match between Madagascar and Zambia. What makes it very special is to play this game in the Eastern Cape where the late former SA president Nelson Mandela was born.

“So I think that is a motivation on its own for ourselves as a technical team and for the players. We are hoping to do well so that we can honour this icon,” he said.