Orlando Pirates defender Ayanda Gcaba said he was thrilled to receive a call up to Bafana Bafana as a replacement to teammate Patrick Phungwayo, who was ruled out due to a troublesome knee injury.
The Pirates defender was called up on Sunday and will join the team on Monday. He described the call from the national team for the 2015 African Cup of Nations tournament in Equatorial Guinea as a "pleasant surprise".
“It’s an honour for me and my family that I received the call to represent my country at such a tournament. I would like to thank Coach Shakes and his technical team for thinking that I could do the job,” said Gcaba in an interview with the club’s official website.
“The whole thing was unexpected when you consider all the guys who play left back and left wing so I was quite surprised. Floyd (Mbele) called me to let me know that the Club had received the call from SAFA. It started becoming real when we had to scan passports and arrange all the VISA documentation.”
Gcaba who played a significant part in Orlando Pirates’ run to the final of the CAF Champions’ League in 2013, believes this could be the reason why he got the nod ahead of other players in that position.
“I’m sure it had to do with it (CAF Champions’ League). We had a good run in that tournament, and against all odds we made it to the final under hostile conditions all the way through. You have to be tough, both physically and mentally to do well in any African competition and I think that having Oupa (Manyisa), Andile (Jali) and Thabo (Matlaba) in the national setup will do us all a great service.”
When asked about his expectations, Gcaba remained grounded, and hopeful for what may come of his inclusion in the side in place of the injured Phungwayo.
“My heart goes out to Pat. It’s an unfortunate thing that has happened to him. Every player wants to represent the country at the highest level and he was right there. I want to do it for him and his family too because I know how much the national team means to him.”
“I don’t know what the coach has planned for me, but I know that I’m ready to help the team in any way. I’m equally comfortable on the left or in the centre of defence so we will see what happens. I’m just grateful for the opportunity to do my best for the nation, whether on the pitch, the bench or in training. We have a job to do and everyone needs to play their part.”
The 28-year-old is set to join up with Bafana Bafana on Tuesday before they head to Equatorial Guinea for the start of Africa’s premier nation’s cup tournament on Friday.
Source: OrlandoPiratesFC.com
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