Africa News

South Africans train in Germany ahead of home World Cup

Apr 14, 2010, 18:47 GMT

Herzogenaurach, Germany - The South African national team is in Germany on a two-week training camp ahead of the World Cup finals which South Africa will be hosting later this year.

Brazilian coach Carlos Alberto Parreira and 25 players will be making use of the adidas training centre during their stay in Herzogenaurach.

The South African delegation in Germany were welcomed at their four star hotel on Tuesday with a huge South African flag and the hotel has attempted to decorate as much as possible in the gold and green of the Bafana.

The team, which is made up mainly of locally-based players, has already completed a three-week training camp in Brazil before returning to South Africa for a few days en route to Germany.

Parreira is expected to nominate several overseas-based players, like Premier League players Steven Pienaar and Aaron Mokoena, in his final 23-man squad.

Virtually all European-based players in contention for a place in the squad have not been released by their clubs for the training camp, which does not fall into the international match calendar.

During their stay in Germany Bafana will be playing a friendly match against second division club SpVgg Greuther Furth, as well as the reserve side of Bundesliga club Nuremberg, who play in the fourth division.

They will return to South Africa on April 29 and hand over their base to the Mexican team, which will also be preparing for the World Cup in Germany.

South Africa will be facing Mexico in the World Cup opener on June 11 in Soccer City in Soweto on the outskirts of Johannesburg.