By REGINALD KANYANE
3 June 2025 – Coach Vela Khumalo said he was happy to get his first training session with his players under his belt in Bloemfontein on Monday as South Africa continues preparations ahead of the 2025 COSAFA Cup. South Africa opened their COSAFA Cup account against Mozambique in their first Group A match at the Free State Stadium on 4 June 2025.
Khumalo’s charges have been pitted against Mauritius, Zimbabwe and Mozambique in the group. Fresh from the recent U17 Africa Cup of Nations, where he secured South Africa’s qualification to the FIFA U17 World Cup in Chile, Khumalo is planning to mount a strong challenge for the regional title.
“I think we are happy that everyone is here, and it was our first session. Remember, with just two days before our (first) match, tomorrow will be the walk through, so we are happy with the number of players who showed up on our first training session.
“We are playing against Mozambique, and we don’t know much about them, but it’s all about how we want to express ourselves when playing at home. We need to show that we are playing at home, we promise to play good football, but most importantly, we need to win the game,” he said.
Khumalo further said they want to see themselves going into the semi-finals. He added that is the most important thing.
“I am very happy with the squad and the players he has with him in camp have shown great determination to succeed. I’m happy with the players because they look sharp.
“I was not expecting them to look as sharp as they do as they have been in recess for two weeks. But we are in good shape and in a good space as we look forward to the next session,” said Khumalo.
Mduduzi Shabalala and Darren Johnson, who replaced Bruce Bvuma, were the latest players to join the camp on Monday.
The Guardian 