Ntuthuko Maphumulo
The South African Football Association, players and coach seem less than eager to make it to the second round of the World Cup, if recent results and planning are anything to go by.
Bafana Bafana have managed to win just one game ? a penalty shoot-out victory against minnows Botswana in the Cosafa Cup ? as they prepare for the World Cup. Their two previous friendly games resulted in a 0-1 loss to Saudi Arabia and a 1-4 drubbing by unfancied Georgia.
Next Wednesday Bafana Bafana will be playing South American fellow qualifiers Ecuador in Spain. This game will not be attended by national coach Jomo Sono ? who will be across the Channel watching England face Paraguay, who are in the same group as South Africa in the World Cup. Assistant coach Trott Moloto will be in charge.
Bafana team manager Stanley “Screamer” Tshabalala said: “The three matches so far played by Bafana Bafana were used to assess the players to see if they would be able to play in the World Cup.” Tshabala said the squad will start training in Spain just two days before the game.
Sono says he intends starting to train the squad on May 5. The Safa officials in charge of preparations have been satisfied with this explanation, saying after a meeting with Sono that everything is all right and the team will be ready go to Korea to represent South Africa.
Ecuador, who will be making their first appearance in the World Cup, have managed to win two games (3-0 against Bulgaria and 1-0 over Turkey) and lost one (1-0 to the United States) in their recent friendlies.
Bafana will have to look out for striker Agustin Delgado, midfielder Alex Aguinaga and the surging runs of right back Ulises de la Cruz.
On April 30 Sono is expected to announce the names of 30 to 40 players for a training camp starting on May 6. On May 9 the coach will announce his final 23 for Korea/Japan.
The final squad will play a friendly on May 12 against Madagascar as a sending off game in South Africa.
Bafana will then participate in a four-nations tournament in Hong Kong where they will play Turkey ? another World Cup-bound country ? Scotland and the hosts.