Stuart Baxter has announced his Bafana Bafana starting line-up to face Madagascar in the COSAFA Cup quarterfinals. Read: Xulu Proud To Be Named Bafana Captain Baxter's charges enter the competition at the last-eight stage and will face Madagascar, who finished top of Group A with two wins and a draw. Maritzburg United defender Siyanda Xulu has been named Bafana's captain for the tournament, while SuperSport United goalkeeper Reyaad Pieterse has been handed the start between the sticks. Newly signed Chippa United forward Gift Motupa is joined in the attack by Ryan Moon, Luther Singh and Siphesihle Ndlovu. Here's how they will start: Starting XI: Pieterse Xulu, Modiba, Fielies, Madisha, Makaringe, Maboe, Singh, Ndlovu, Moon, Motupa. Subs: Bvuma (GK), Khubeka (GK), Ngezana, Mako, Meyiwa, Webber, Mosiatlhaga, Links, Foster. Madagascar: Randrianasolo Rafelambolasoa, Fetraniaina, Baggio, Razafindrasata, Adrianarimanana, Marcio, Mario, Bourahim, Sandratriniaina, Adrianavalona. Content hosted by iono.fm<doc-sep>Bafana Bafana will roll out the excuses of missed chances and opponents who came to defend, but in the end their 4-3 penalties Cosafa Cup defeat against Madagascar in Polokwane was just another in a long line of disappointing results for the national team. Bafana had their best chances to kill off their first game of the competition in the first half at Peter Mokaba Stadium. Madagascar, having kept a clean sheet, completely shut down any attempt to play in the second, where they spoiled effectively, clattering into clashes and clipping at heels. Still, that's the sort of impediment a Bafana side of this much promise needs to be able to overcome. SA lacked urgency and composure as the chips were laid down in the second half. All the South Africans' neatness from a week's preparation with this youthful combination was good for nothing as far as points on the board were concerned. The hosts now, as they did last year in Rustenburg, suffer the ignominy of going into the plate section. Bafana coach Stuart Baxter's XI promised much, laid in a 4-3-3 with the Mraitzburg United trio of Fortune Makaringe behind Lebohang Maboe and Siphesihle Ndlovu in the middle. But up-front there was a question mark, with Luther Singh on the left and Gift Motupa in the middle, but Ryan Moon seemingly wasted on the right. The coach had identified Madagascar's physicality, and the pace of their wingers, Jaotomo Bourahim on the left and Tsito Razafindrasata on the right, as the dangers. It was a decent first half for the South Africans almost completely shutting out a team with the advantage of having played in three group games. Still gelling, Bafana created three clear chances, though, frustratingly, never came close enough with any of them. Singh's low ball into the area found Maboe, whose first-time shot was wide. Moon's clever chip over the top from midfield picked out the as intelligent run of Singh, who advanced and shot straight at goalkeeper Jean Randrianasolo. Maboe was played down the right of the area, and his shot also picked out Randrianasolo, when he had Motupa inside. Baxter put right his strange deployment up-front when he brought on a winger, Abednigo Mosiatlhaga, for Motupa to play on the right and moved Moon to centre-forward. Soon after, Bourahim showed his pace streaking past Xulu down the left and struck at goalkeeper Reyaad Pieterse. If Madagascar had been cautious in the first half, they went into turtle mode in the second. Bafana needed to score to take the pressure off. Aubrey Modiba collected a loose ball from Singh's corner and cracked it against the left upright via the slightest of deflections. Baxter's remaining substitutions, Jamie Webber and Lyle Foster for Tariq Fielies and Maboe, came very late, in the 85th. In the shootout, for Bafana Motjeka Madisha, Foster, and Modiba were successful. The Webber hit the post before Singh produced a weak effort saved by Randrianasolo. For Madagascar, Rabeson Fetranianina hit the post off Pieterse with their first kick. Then Andoniaina Andrianavalona, Rakotoharisoa Baggio, Andriamirado Andrianarimanana and Tobisoa Sandratrinianina all scored. * Marc Strydom is in Polokwane as a guest of Cosafa<doc-sep>Bafana Bafana will take on Madagascar during the Cosafa Cup quarter-finals in Sunday (3pm) at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane. The knockout stage gets under way on Saturday afternoon when Zambia tackle Namibia and that match will be followed by an encounter between Lesotho and Swaziland while Zimbabwe and Botswana will battle out on Sunday. All matches takes place at New Peter Mokaba Stadium. The quarter-final stage was completed by Botswana who thrashed hapless Mauritius 6-0 in their Group B clash to register their biggest ever victory in international football. The matches are expected to pull a sizeable crowd with entrance to the World Cup stadium free and with Bafana Bafana seeking to avoid an embarrassing quarterfinal exit for the second year running. If Bafana get past unfancied Madagascar‚ they will meet the winner of the clash between Zambia and Namibia in what will be a tough semifinal while failure to progress will see Stuart Baxter’s men drop to the Plate competition. South Africa claimed the Plate section in 2017 after losing to Tanzania in their quarterfinal game. On Friday‚ Botswana scored four goals inside the opening 26 minutes against a limp Mauritian side at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium. A tired-looking Mauritius could not handle the pace of the Zebras players‚ but also lacked organisation at the back as the Botswana had the freedom of their penalty box. Onkabetse Makgantai netted the opener within three minutes‚ before Karabo Phiri added the second. Thatayaone Kgamanyane was gifted a third when a Mauritian defender cleared the ball into his path‚ and he showed great composure to side-foot past the goalkeeper. The fourth goal was scored by Kabelo Seakanyeng‚ who moved joint top of the scorers charts in the 2018 Cosafa Cup with a third of the tournament to draw him level with Mozambique’s Luis Miquissone. Mauritius started the second half with a bit more energy in their play‚ but fell further behind when substitute goalkeeper James Caserne completely missed his punch from a corner and Botswana fullback Tshepo Maikano turned the ball home. It was 6-0 on 70 minutes when Makgantai got his second‚ profiting as Caserne dropped a routine catch and the Botswana forward scored into an empty net. He also joins Miquissone at the top of the scorers charts. Angola and Malawi played to a 0-0 draw in their other Group B fixture on Friday‚ a game littered with missed chances. Cosafa Cup‚ Quarter-Final Fixtures 02 June: Zambia v Namibia (3pm)‚ Lesotho v Swaziland (5.30pm) 03 June: South Africa v Madagascar (3pm)‚ Zimbabwe v Botswana 5.30pm‚ all matches at New Peter Mokaba Stadium)<doc-sep>
Bafana Bafana starting XI revealed ahead of Madagascar clash Baxter has named a youthful squad mixed with some experience ahead of his side's Cosafa Cup clash against Madagascar on Sunday South Africa national team coach Stuart Baxter has named his starting XI for Bafana Bafana’s Cosafa Cup quarterfinal against Madagascar. The clash promises to be an exciting affair with the islanders having surprisingly reached the business end of the tournament at the expense of the more fancied Mozambique. Barea as they are more affectionally known have registered two wins and a draw on their way to the last eight. Nonetheless, the Bafana mentor is certainly taking nothing for granted as he explained ahead of the game that Madagascar would not be an easy team to beat. The 64-year-old was most notably concerned of the pace of the Madagascar attack. This has subsequently led him to name an exciting squad with an abundance of youth and skill. Most interesting, is the fact that Baxter has named four Maritzburg United players in his line-up, with Siyanda Xulu captaining the side, which is just reward for the work they have done during the season. Baxter has also opted to give youngster Luther Singh a shout along with one of the PSL’s most lethal forwards in Gift Motupa as well as Kaizer chiefs striker Ryan Moon upfront. There is however no place in the match day squad for Orlando Pirates full-back Innocent Maela. The defender has needed to be withdrawn from the competion after picking up an injury and has been replaced by Paseka Mako. Here is South Africa’s starting XI: Article continues below R. Pieterse, S. Xulu, A. Modiba, T. Fielies, M. Madisha, F. Makaringe, L. Maboe, L. Singh, S. Ndlovu, R. Moon, G. Motupa. Subs: Bvuma (GK), Khubeka (GK), Ngezana, Mako, Meyiwa, Webber, Mosiatlhaga, Links, Foster Meanwhile, kick-off is set for 15:00 at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane.