No respect for reputation and names against Bafana Bafana - Botswana's Mogorosi (CAF ONLINE)

06-07-2012

          

   

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A titanic clash is on the cards when Southern Africa neighbours Botswana and South Africa meet in match day two of the Brazil 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers at the University of Botswana stadium on Saturday.Cafonline.com caught up with the Zebras midfielder Joel Mogorosi for a chat ahead of the match.  The speedy right winger who missed the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) due to injury boaldly declared that Bafana Bafana should not expect unduly deserved respect from the Zebras come the weekend.

Cafonline.com: You started the qualifiers with an away loss to Central African Republic (C.A.R), what really happened in Bangui?

Mogorosi: Honestly we did not expect to lose in Bangui but it was one of those games when you do things right but the results are against you. We played well but failed to convert our chances, something that our opponents did and they won

Cafonline.com: How is the mood in the camp now ahead of the Saturday game?

Mogorosi: The mood is very high, everyone is looking foward for the encounter and we are ready for Bafana. It is a good thing that we have put the loss behind us and we are now fully focused on the coming game.

Cafonline.com: You have an excellent home record having not lost a match since 2010, do you think this will continue on Saturday?

Mogorosi: We are always looking foward to a win and Saturday would be no different. We know we have turned the UB Stadium into our slaughter ground ( for visiting teams) but we are still going to fight to get a win.

Cafonline.com: Will you be looking for home ground advantage to work for you?

Mogorosi: Definitely, everyone wants to do well when playing at home. We will be playing in front of our supporters and it is always a great thing.

Cafonline.com: How do you rate the South African squad?

Mogorosi: They are a good team with a good mixture of experienced players and youngsters. They also have some players playing in Europe but we are not going to give them any respect. We are equally a competent side evidenced by our qualification to the 2012 AFCON.

Cafonline.com: You will be welcoming captain Mompati Thuma back in the team after a long injury layoff, did you miss him in the past game and how important is his return?

Mogorosi: Every player in the team is important and are greatly missed when they are out injured. We definitely missed Thuma's leadership qualities, especially at the back and if he plays on Saturday, he will add a lot of value to the team because he is an experienced player. It is not only Thuma whom we missed, we have other players who have since recovered in time for the match and it is a good thing.