Mamelodi Sundowns Defender Rushine De Reuk has been selected for the 23-Man Bafana Bafana Squad that will be participating in the upcoming international friendly matches. The Brazilians defender had a chat with the Mamelodi Sundowns Media team about carrying out his national duties, he said:
“Obviously the national team is different from ‘club’ football because you carry the hopes and dreams of the entire country. As players, we need to embrace it because we have been tasked with the responsibility to make the country and the supporters proud. I believe that with the quality of players we have, we are capable of coming out strong if we stick together.”
De Reuck added that he is prepared to continue working hard and displaying perseverance as he believes that could get him to play for the national team for a long time. Bafana Bafana will play against Mozambique on Friday, 17 November at Mbombela Stadium, followed by Angola three days later on 20 November at the same venue.
The National team’s former vice-captain for the 2021 COSAFA Cup shared what he mostly looks forward to as he heads into the national team that is surrounded by different players from different clubs. De Reuck expressed that the atmosphere is great to be in and as much as all the players enjoy each other’s company, they know that they need to put in the work and go all out to represent South Africa with pride and dignity.
“It’s a big privilege for me to be a part of the national team. I think it’s every player’s dream and all footballers in the country would love to be there, for me to be there it’s simply a motivation to keep on working hard and doing the best that I can.”
“Now that I’m in camp, as always, I look forward to meeting with the other players from different clubs. The atmosphere in camp is positive because the boys are in a good mood. It’s a nice space to be in and we are all looking forward to putting in the work and ensuring that we’re ready for the upcoming games”, says Rushine.
The international friendlies that the national team will be participating in will be used as part of the preparation for the continuation of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers that are set to resume next year in March. Masandawana’s trusted center back concluded by mentioning that playing for the national team requires commitment, and for the upcoming two games against Mozambique and Angola, he hopes for Bafana Bafana to win so that they can go into the break with good spirits.
Bafana Bafana go head-to-head with Mozambique on the 17th of November 2022, Mbombela Stadium. Kick off is at 20h00, live on SABC Sport and SABC Radio Stations.
