Khumalo Ready For COSAFA Cup Opener
Bafana Bafana B side coach Vela Khumalo is fully focused and ready as South Africa prepares to face Mozambique in the opening match of the 2025 COSAFA Cup at Free State Stadium on Wednesday at 15:00.
This encounter between the two neighboring countries marks the beginning of what Khumalo hopes will be a strong campaign for his side in this year’s regional tournament.
Khumalo, who was brought in after leading Kaizer Chiefs’ DDC side to the DStv Diski Challenge title and Amajimbos to the FIFA U/17 World Cup, emphasized the importance of starting on the right footing.
“We actually had a good session,” he stated. “One will understand that this is not the first time I am doing this. If you remember, while we are here, I am the defending champion because we won this with COSAFA before (in 2021), and I was also a head coach together with coach Morena Ramoreboli back then.”
Khumalo emphasized that the transition from coaching the South African men’s U17 team at the U17 AFCON a few weeks ago to leading the South African men’s national team in this tournament was not a significant leap for him.
He explained that the experience gained at the youth level provided a strong foundation, as many of the core principles, strategies, and challenges remain consistent across age groups. He expressed confidence in his ability to adapt quickly, highlighting that working closely with young talents has equipped him with the insight and flexibility needed to succeed at the senior level.
“From Bafana Bafana to DDC, from DDC to Under 17, from Under 17 to Bafana Bafana, there isn’t really much of a big gap,” he noted. “It’s how you impart the knowledge to these bigger ones (players). This is a talented team, but most of these boys I coached them at an earlier age. So, it’s a smooth transition for me.”
Khumalo revealed that the team is determined to secure a win in Wednesday’s match. Their focus and preparations have been geared towards delivering a strong performance, and he expressed confidence in the players’ mindset and commitment.
“What we want to see is us winning the first game so that we can be at ease,” he said. “Then we can start playing exactly how we want to play, keeping possession, and playing the philosophy of the country’s style. If we can stick to that and, perhaps more importantly, win the game, then we’ll be in a good space where we can try and explore other things, and we’re hopeful that we’re going to do it right.”
