BAFANA Bafana midfielder Dean Furman says players will need to be professional and support caretaker coach Owen Da Gama as they prepare for their upcoming friendlies.
Bafana will play back-to-back matches against Guinea-Bissau and Angola. Bafana play the African Wild Dogs at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday (3pm) and the clash against Angola will be played next Tuesday.
This will be Bafana’s first games since the departure of head coach Ephraim “Shakes” Mashaba, who was fired by the SA Football Association in December.
Da Gama, who is also the SA Under-23 coach, was on the bench when Bafana drew 1-1 with Mozambique in a friendly in Maputo in their last match of 2016.
While Safa bosses are still searching for Mashaba’s replacement, Furman urged his teammates to give their support to the caretaker coach.
Former Orlando Pirates mentor Ruud Krol is tipped to be named the new national coach this week.
Said Furman: “Our job as players is to play. I understand that Owen Da Gama will take the reins for these two matches.
“As players we need to be professional and get behind him.
“We also need to put up a good show in these matches and continue the good run of form we are experiencing at Bafana.”
The SuperSport United captain wore the skipper’s armband when Bafana drew 1-1 with Mozambique and is likely to do so in these upcoming matches too.
Furman added that the person set to take charge on a permanent basis at Bafana would also have their full support.
The new coach’s job will be to ensure Bafana qualify for both the African Cup of Nations in Cameroon in 2019 and the 2018 Fifa World Cup in Russia.
Furman said: “Whoever is coming will have our full support.”
