BAFANA IN DO OR DIE CLASH
Igesund dares Morocco to give it their best shot
GORDON Igesund is hoping that Morocco will attack Bafana Bafana in their final Africa Cup of Nations Group A game at Moses Mabhida Stadium this
evening. The South Africans top the group with four points and need a win or a draw to clinch qualification for the quarterfinals. Morocco must win to stay in the competition. I think we don t “’ have to shy away from the fact that Morocco is a good footballing country,” Igesund said at yesterday s pre-match press ’ conference. They ve always got a “’ top, top team. And I m ’ hoping they come at us. Then it ll be a very open ’ game and I d like to back ’ ourselves in that situation. We know what they have “to do, which is win the game. The teams we ve played so far ’ had 10 men behind the ball. If we play a team that s more “’ open we re not going to defend.
’ We re going to have to make sure ’ we can score goals as well.”
A victory this evening will clinch winning the group.
A draw might also be enough and a defeat will bring out the calculators for the mathematical permutations of qualifying.
Cape Verde, who meet Angola in the simultaneous match in Port Elizabeth, and Morocco are each on two points. Angola have one.
The group victors face the runners-up from Group B, in which Ghana look certain to win against Niger tomorrow and finish top, leaving DR Congo and Mali to fight it out for second place. Gordon Igesund s men will cer’ tainly prefer a quarterfinal against either of the latter two.
Morocco coach Rachid Taoussi gave an odd reason for leaving out his star players Arsenal striker
– Marouane Chamakh and Queens Park Rangers midfielder Adel Taraabt a clash of personalities.
– Their exclusion left the Moroccans thin on standout players.
In their opening two draws, 0-0 against Angola and 1-1 versus Cape Verde, the Atlas Lions looked compact and organised but without roar.
But when continued participation in the tournament is at stake in one game, a team can go from kitten to top of the food chain.
Fiorentina forward Mounir El Hamdaoui and Liverpool winger Oussama Assaidi have shown signs of class but are yet to fire.
Bafana were superb in snuffing out Angola before they reached the danger zone. Dean Furman s role in ’ breaking down attacks is crucial, as is his positive, simple passing once he wins the ball.
These skills played a key role in releasing Igesund s attacking for’ ward line against Angola, but the coach has said he will have another approach for Morocco.
The injuries to Lehlohonolo Majoro and and potentially Tokelo Rantie limit Igesund s options. The ’ pair were excellent runners against Angola, Majoro as a scoring substitute and Rantie starting. From the rest Igesund has Katlego Mphela, Bernard Parker, Thuso Phala, Siphiwe Tshabalala and Lerato Chabangu to choose from for the frontline.
May Mahlangu and Reneilwe Letsholonyane will vie for playmaker, while Anele Ngcongca, Siyabonga Sangweni, Bongani Khumalo and Tsepo Masilela are all strong defenders. Itumeleng Khune is, of course, a definite.