Bafana Bafana players have had a month’s break since the World Cup but they now have to face Madagascar again. This time it’s not a friendly game against the side they played just before they set off for their Korean adventure.
South Africa plays Madagascar on Sunday in the elusive Council of Southern Africa Football Association (Cosafa) Cup tournament. Bafana have not won this cup despite proving their continental superiority by winning the African Cup of Nations in 1996, reaching the final in 1998, semi-finals 2000 and quarterfinals this year.
But past achievements — including playing in the World Cup twice — seem to count for nothing in this regional tournament.
The teams have met twice before with Bafana Bafana winning both times. The South Africans need to win this quarterfinal because early-round exits in previous tournaments have brought down their world rankings.
In 1998, their first year in the Cosafa Cup, Bafana Bafana were eliminated in the first round (by Namibia). In 1999 they managed to reach the quarter- finals but were once again beaten by Namibia. In 2000 they reached the semifinals, losing to eventual winners Zimbabwe, and last year they faltered in the quarterfinals against Malawi.
Preparations for Sunday’s game have gone well. Earlier this week Bafana Bafana beat a Limpopo Invitation XI — compromised of players from Ria Stars, newly promoted Dynamos, Black Leopards and Silver Stars — 2-0. Some of the players in the national team have already begun pre-season training at their clubs, while others have been participating in pre-season tournaments.
Jomo Sono has said he will step down as coach after the game against Madagascar despite having agreed with the South African Football Association (Safa) that he will only step down at the end of the tournament.
Sono — who will be looking to go out on a high note after failing to reach the second round of the World Cup — has recommended that Safa appoint current assistant coach Trott Moloto and under-23 coach Shakes Mashaba as the new national coaches, but Safa is expected to widen its search to other local and overseas coaches.
Sono has suggested that a local coach would be best suited to coach the national team, while some Safa officials do not see it that way. The players will be hoping they can secure themselves a permanent place in the national team if they impress against Madagascar.
What will be different with this Bafana team is that there will be a majority of local players, with only Tebogo Mokoena based abroad.
This gives a player like Steve Lekoelea a chance to revive his career within the national team. For Dikgang Mabalane it opens a door for him to showcase his skills that have dazzled soccer lovers in the premier soccer league last season.
The national under-20 squad will take on their Malagasy counterparts on Saturday in a preview of the senior match. The youngsters last played competitive soccer last year during the Cosafa under-17 tournament in Malawi. The Port Elizabeth match is part of qualifying for the African youth championships to be held in Burkina Faso next year.