South Africa will be chasing history in Wednesday’s final Group B match against Spain. If Bafana Bafana reaches the second round, it would be for the first time since the country made its World Cup debut in 1998.
”We are going for the win as well, and not just content ourselves with a draw or rely on Slovenia beating Paraguay. We’ve got to do the job ourselves,” said South African coach Jomo Sono.
Sono tacitly admitted that his biggest problem had been bringing his players down to earth after their 1-0 win over Slovenia on Saturday, South Africa’s first ever win in the World Cup finals.
”We are not in the second round yet and still have a job to do,” said the former New York Cosmos player.
South Africa are set to make changes to the team but Sono is not disposed to reveal them.
”I’ve got horses for courses. There might be a couple of alterations to the team,” Sono said.
Sono noted that all his players were fit and set up the possibility of a cagey counter-attacking game which could easily be decided by a single goal.
If South Africa beat Spain and win the group they will face Ireland in the second round. If they finish runners-up, Germany await Bafana in the round of 16.
The Spaniards – eternal dark horses at the World Cup – have galloped through the first phase at a canter, already securing their place in the second round with 3-1 wins over Slovenia and Paraguay.
With a place in the last 16 looming, coach Jose Antonio Camacho can afford to rest some of his players – and it is an option he intends to take against a South Africa team dreaming of a place in the last 16.
”I expect to make three to five changes but I’m not going to tell you who the players are,” Camacho said.
”But regardless of who is going to play, we will still be playing all out for a win. We don’t want to lose the habit,” added the former Real Madrid player and coach.
Spain have now won their last five matches. A sixth victory would leave the South Africans, who need at least a draw to progress, sweating over the result of the other Group B match between Paraguay and Slovenia.
Camacho is keeping his cards close to his chest but the buzz going around the Spanish camp is that he might revert to the tried-and-trusted 4-4-2 formation that was used during Spain’s unbeaten qualification campaign.
In matches leading up to the World Cup Camacho had experimented with a 4-3-2-1 line-up.
Fernando Hierro, who has a history of back problems, is likely to have a breather and hand over the captain’s armband to his Real Madrid colleague Raul Gonzalez.
Up front, Raul is expected to be accompanied by Real Mallorca’s Alberto Luque, who was a surprise inclusion in the squad last month and will make his debut in a Spanish jersey.
The other surprise Spanish squad member, Deportivo La Coruna’s Enrique Romero is expected to start at left back for his fourth cap, 15 months after he gained his last one.
Valladolid goalkeeper Ricardo Lopez could play in just his second international, taking over the gloves from Real Madrid’s Iker Casillas. – Sapa-AFP