Tough task ahead for Bafana
BAFANA Bafana open the year with a rather subdued friendly against Equatorial Guinea this evening with the knowledge that the outcome could set the tone for the remainder of 2012.
Pitso Mosimane’s team had a forgettable 2011, even though they had started it with a lot of promise, and a negative result tonight is certain to sow even more doubt about the team’s competence, a burden they can do without in a year where they play World Cup 2014 qualifiers.
Invited by the Equatorial Guineans for a clash that will mark the opening of the Estadio de Bata, one of the venues for this month’s African Nations Cup, Bafana will have spent this week ruing the day they misread the Caf rules which triggered their failure to qualify for the tournament.
Now they get to be used as guinea-pigs by not only the lowly-ranked co-hosts, but also giants like Zambia and Ghana, who Bafana host in nonofficial friendlies next week to help them prepare for the continental finals.
It is a sorry state of affairs, exacerbated by the chaos which preceded the team’s departure to Bata via Malabo.
Mosimane spent the days leading up to the new year scratching his head as several of his senior players, including top striker Katlego Mphela and three goalkeepers, pulled out of the squad.
He replaced them with untested campaigners and, after finally boarding the flight to the west African nation, arrived there to find the team could not immediately check into their hotel, thus forcing him to cancel a planned training session.
Eventually, Bafana got to train on Wednesday but could really have done without further distraction. It will have been irritating, then, when Mosimane was told yesterday that tonight’s match would now kick-off at 6pm SA time, twoand-a-half hours earlier than had been announced.
The decision to bring the kick-off time forward was apparently taken at the behest of Teodoro Obiang Nguema, the headstrong Equatorial Guinea president who has ruled since 1979. According to a Safa statement, he will be at the game alongside the rulers of neighbouring Cameroon and Chad to witness the opening of the new 40 000-seat stadium in Bata.
In spite of all the anarchy which Bafana found there, South Africans will not buy any excuse should their team fall to Equatorial Guinea, who are ranked 98 places below SA. That Mosimane has taken as many as 10 new players on this trip will not suffice as an excuse.
He should still field a competitive side, with men such as Morgan Gould, Reneilwe Letsholonyane, Siboniso Gaxa and Daylon Claasen expected to carry a lot of responsibility.
All four should start, ensuring that Bafana have some backbone, but, elsewhere, it will be a case of Mosimane hoping for miracles.
He must choose a debutant goalkeeper, try out either Patrick Phungwayo or Ayanda Gcaba at leftback, and find midfield partners for Letsholonyane and Claasen.
Bradley Grobler and Lehlohonolo Majoro should start up front.
Bafana beat Equatorial Guinea, nicknamed Nzalang Nacional, in the countries’ two previous meetings in 2008 but, tonight, with excitement building up in that country, and their no-nonsense president watching, the South Africans could be in for a tough encounter.