Tough draw as SA U23s eye Rio 2016

IT WON’T be easy, but South Africa yesterday received a fair draw for the eight-nation Olympic qualifying tournament.

The national under-23 side were drawn in Group A alongside hosts Senegal, Zambia and Tunisia for the November 28 to December 12 event that will decide which three countries represent Africa at the Games in Rio next year.

Owen da Gama’s team will be pleased to have avoided Nigeria, Egypt and Algeria, who make up Group B along with Mali.

“Any draw was always going to be difficult,” the coach said yesterday.

“We have seen Zambia play, so it’s not the worst group we have been drawn in.”

Da Gama added: “We have played Tunisia recently, and surely they will come at us guns blazing.

“So it was a difficult draw, but at least now we understand what we are up against.”

The South Africans, bidding to become only the second group from this country to qualify for the Olympics after Shakes Mashaba’s class of 2000, should make the semifinals, which will put them in line for one of three tickets to Rio.

They begin their campaign against Senegal in Dakar on the opening day, November 28.

Having to face the hosts in the opening match, the South Africans will no doubt be under tremendous pressure, but if they can avoid defeat in that match, Da Gama’s team could be on to a good thing.

Their next match will be against Zambia in the capital three days later, and they will fancy their chances of getting the better of the junior Chipolopolo. However, Zambia will be hell-bent on qualification, with the president of their football association, Kalusha Bwalya, tweeting after the draw: “We knew the two groups would be tough. But we can pull through. We have no choice but to go for it.”

Their last match is against Tunisia on December 4 in M’bour, a city some 80km south of Dakar.

The two countries claimed a victory apiece when they met recently for a couple of friendlies in Tunisia.

The South Africans should have the psychological advantage, however, having hammered their opponents 4-0 before suffering a 2-1 reverse.

Meanwhile, Banyana Banyana failed to progress to the semi-finals of the All Africa Games after losing out to Ghana in the drawing of lots yesterday.

The countries were tied in all aspects after the group stages, and lots had to be drawn to decide which team went through.