Zebras, Guinea Bissau venue confirmed
| Tuesday July 29, 2014 10:44
The Guinea Bissau Football Association responded yesterday after earlier concerns about the match venue.
“They just confirmed today (yesterday) that the game will be played at the Estadio 24 in Bissau on Saturday,” BFA chief executive officer, Keith Masters said. Kick-off is 4:00 pm.
In the last two years, Guinea Bissau has played most of its games in neighbouring countries due to political instability although the situation is said to be calm at the moment. However, on May 31, the country hosted the first round AFCON qualifier against Central African Republic in its capital Bissau.
The uncertainty of the venue of the Saturday had left Zebras coach, Peter Butler a frustrated man.
His training camp scheduled for Ghana this week was cancelled at the last minute due to lack of funds. “I have no clue; my plans are all up in the air. I’m lost. I don’t know if we are going to Guinea Bissau or not. We were supposed to go to Ghana but I am told we will no longer go due to lack of funds,” Butler said before Guinea Bissau confirmed the venue.
The Zebras lead 2-0 from the first leg. Guinea Bissau coach, Paolo Torres is confident of overturning the result.
Guinea Bissau missed six players in the first leg after they were denied entry visas and Torres believes they will make a difference in the return leg.
But an undaunted Butler said his players are optimistic.
“I have been in football for a long time, we cannot complain and say we have lost this and that, I have no doubt they will have some good players, so will we,” he said.
“We will go there with belief; we will go there with a really good football team. We are improving all the time, we are getting better and the most important thing is we did not concede (at home),” he added.
The Zebras have been boosted by the presence of goalkeeper Kabelo Dambe ahead of the weekend game and Atletico Madrid bound Ofentse Nato.
But missing from the squad is Mogokolodi Ngele of Platinum Stars and Blomfontein Celtic duo of Joel Mogorosi and Mogogi Gabonamong.