Sono’s bold plans for Cosmos Bafana down in rankings
JOMO Cosmos may be in eighth place in the National First Division‚ but their chances of at least reaching the promotion playoffs are not as bad as their position would seem to indicate.
And club boss Jomo Sono believes a last 16 penalties Nedbank Cup win against Bidvest Wits on Tuesday was just the tonic Cosmos needed to make a charge for yet another promotion back to the Absa Premiership.
“We did well. We’ve assembled a good team‚” Sono said.
“From now on, it’s just to focus on the Nedbank Cup‚ and then the last 10 games in the league.
“We have had a lot of injuries and suspensions but, now everyone is back, we can compete.
“We have got 30 points from 21 games‚ number two has 33 [third-placed Stellenbosch FC in fact have 34 points from 22 games].
“So anything is possible. You win the next game you go to 33, and this team will definitely compete.
“If we go to second position‚ we will fight with Thanda and then we will also fight to go into the playoffs.”
Cosmos trail the NFD’s runaway leaders Thanda Royal Zulu by a huge 17 points‚ though with a game in hand and‚ despite Sono’s characteristic bravado‚ their chances of winning the league for outright promotion are exceptionally slim.
Thanda have lost one game all season and a collapse at this stage by the Richards Bay-based team seems highly unlikely.
From second to third place‚ though‚ the race for the playoffs is wide open.
Black Leopards are on 39 points from 22 games‚ Stellenbosch 34 and Pietermaritzburg-based Royal Eagles on 33‚ just three points ahead of Cosmos‚ who have played one less game.
Sono does not believe that progressing to the Nedbank quarterfinals will distract his young‚ rebuilt team‚ but instead give them confidence.
Since being relegated from the PSL in 2007-08‚ Cosmos have been promoted back three times‚ dropping straight back down after one season‚ most recently competing in the PSL again last season. SOUTH Africa have dropped two places in the latest Fifa World Rankings released yesterday and are now 64th on the global list and 12th on the African continent.
The 3-1 friendly victory over Guinea-Bissau was tempered last month by the 0-0 home draw with Angola that cost the country ranking points.
Egypt have maintained their position on top of the African list and also risen to No 19 in the world‚ highlighting the improvement of The Pharaohs after a number of years in the doldrums.
Senegal are second on the African list‚ followed by continental champions Cameroon‚ another of Bafana Bafana’s World Cup qualifier opponents‚ Burkina Faso‚ and Nigeria.
DR Congo‚ Tunisia‚ Ghana‚ Ivory Coast and Morocco round out the African top 10.
The final side in South Africa’s World Cup qualification group‚ who they meet in a crucial home-and-away double-header in late August and early September‚ Cape Verde Islands‚ have continued their rankings slide to number 83 in the world and 17th in Africa.
It was just two years ago that they briefly topped the continental list.
Aside from Nigeria‚ the other sides in South Africa’s 2019 African Nations Cup qualifier pool are Libya (91 in the world‚ 23 in Africa) and Seychelles (196 in the world‚ 51 in Africa).
Brazil have regained top spot in the global list‚ knocking Argentina off their perch.
Germany‚ Chile and Colombia make up the rest of the top five.