ANDREW MUCHINERIPI, Johannesburg | Monday 12.00pm.
BAFANA Bafana will launch their campaign for a second consecutive appearance at the World Cup against Botswana, Lesotho, Madagascar, Sudan or Swaziland in the middle of next year.
Provisional dates for the home-and-away first-round matches are the weekends of June 2, 3, 4 and June 16, 17, 18, which is bad luck for South Africa as they have accepted an invitation to play in the United States the same month.
Organisers of the Nike Cup announced this weekend that Bafana Bafana would play the United States, Mexico and the Republic of Ireland in the mini-league tournament on dates to be finalised between June 3 and 11.
On a happier note, the World Cup dates fall during the European close season so Bafana Bafana team manager Zola Dunywa will not spend 16 hours a day on the phone trying to secure the release of Lucas Radebe and company.
Assuming South Africa overcome the first hurdle (anything else is
surely unthinkable), they would go into a fresh draw with the other 24 first-round winners.
These countries will be divided into five groups and those who top the tables after the eight-round programme advance to the 2002 finals in Japan and South Korea from June 1 to 30.
Sudan are probably the team Bafana Bafana coach Trott Moloto would most like to avoid as the away leg would involve travelling virtually the length of the continent to the dusty capital city of Khartoum.
Zambia lost 2-0 there in a 1998 World Cup qualifier before winning by three goals at home to squeeze through. And if our players believe Durban is hot and humid, they ain’t felt nothing yet. Sudanese heat in dry and suffocating.
South Africa have won in Madagascar (1-0), Botswana (2-0) and Lesotho (3-1), but have never played Swaziland, which is surprising given that they are our eastern neighbours.
The Muchineripi verdict: Sudan are definitely the team to avoid,
followed by Madagascar and Swaziland. Botswana would be the best draw with Lesotho next best. Ah, well, there goes my chance of a free holiday in Gaborone or Maseru!