Going one better
HAVING broken their scoring duck on home soil, Bafana Bafana will tonight strive to end yet another hoodoo when they take on Nigeria in the final Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match in Uyo.
The South Africans booked their spot at the 16-team tournament to be hosted by Equatorial Guinea when they finally won a home match in Saturday’s 2-1 victory over Sudan in Durban.
Before that match, Shakes Mashaba’s team had played goalless draws in their home clashes against Nigeria and Congo-Brazzaville, leaving the coach worried about his team’s profligacy in front of goal.
But when he left for Nigeria on Monday, Mashaba was cock-a-hoop, confident in his team’s ability to break the opposition defence, and expecting Bafana to finally beat the Super Eagles in a competitive match.
In their 10 matches Bafana have won once, in the friendly Nelson Mandela Challenge.
“We can always hope for the better,” Mashaba said. “I’m very happy that we scored two goals at home. But what will make me even happier is to get those two goals against Nigeria.”
For them to breach the Nigerian defence, Bafana will need better finishing than Bongani Ndulula’s missing a sitter at the Moses Mabhida Stadium.
The AmaZulu striker will have to live up to his “Drogba” monicker and add to the two goals he has netted in the qualifying matches so far.
Tokelo Rantie, his strike partner, must show the deft finishing that saw him slot home the second goal after Thulani Serero had opened up the scoring with his maiden Bafana strike.
“Beating Nigeria will bring back the confidence of people in Bafana Bafana,” Mashaba said. “It will bring us dignity and the respect of the African continent.”
More than that, Mashaba wants Bafana to finish the qualifying round unbeaten so they can send a warning to the rest of the continent that they will be a force at next year’s showpiece.
“We’re not going there to add to the numbers,” he said of their participation at the 16-team tournament. “We’re going there to compete and besides, in all competitions South Africa are always the team to beat. By winning we will let the others know we mean business.”
Placed second on seven points, Stephen Keshi’s team cannot afford to slip up as Congo-Brazzaville, also on seven points, could sneak into second spot and book automatic qualification. The Congolese are favourites to grab maximum points away to eliminated Sudan.
Mashaba believes Bafana can capitalise on that, but they will have to be much tighter on the wings, where their hosts are dangerous.
“They have two good wingers that we will have to be wary of if we’re not to be punished.”
But Nigeria must also worry about Bafana’s attack after their win at home last weekend has given them the confidence to finally beat the Super Eagles in a competitive match.
HOT on the heels of South Africa’s outdoor national football teams, the country’s indoor squad is also targeting international glory after being awarded the right to host the next African championship.
On the weekend when Bafana Bafana booked their ticket to next year’s Africa Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea, the South African Indoor Football Association (Saifa) settled on the city as the host of the CAF Futsal Championship in 2016.
The eight-team African championship will be played at Durban’s ICC and at the indoor facility of the UKZN Westville campus over 20 days, confirmed Saifa secretary general Ebrahim Hossen. It will be the first time that South Africa’s five-a-side national team competes at the continental event, by virtue of being the host nation.
In their last qualifying attempt they lost to Libya at the final stage of a home and away play-off in 2012.
“Originally the championship was to be hosted by Egypt or Equatorial Guinea in the latter part of 2015, but due to some logistical difficulties CAF offered South Africa to host it. We considered Joburg, Durban and Cape Town, and settled on Durban,” said Hossen.
“We did a venue inspection at the weekend, and the ICC was finalised as the main venue. The indoor sports facility in uMlazi, DUT and Tongaat Indoor Centre will be used as training venues.”
He added that Saifa planned to employ an international coach for the first time to bring the squad up to speed with the rest of the continent.
“We have some very good outdoor coaches, but futsal requires different technical expertise. We don’t have coaches of international calibre so we will have to look at a foreign coach.
“Hopefully by the end of January we will have a shortlist or a final candidate,” said Hossen.
The appointment of a foreign expert would follow Safa’s decision earlier this year to recruit an experienced female coach, Vera Pauw, of the Netherlands, for the Banyana Banyana side. She has guided the team through qualification for the African Women’s Championship in Namibia.
On the men’s side the national under-17 and under-20 teams also qualified for their respective continental events, which will be played next year.
The top three teams from the CAF championship would represent Africa at the Fifa Futsal World Cup in Colombia in November 2016.