South Africa hopes to boost its bid to host the 2010 World Cup by promoting the country at Saturday’s exhibition match between Bafana Bafana and Trinidad and Tobago in Port Elizabeth.
Aside from the objective of lobbying for votes from the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Associations (Concacaf), the match will effectively sort the chaff from the wheat in the final preparation for the crucial African Cup of Nations qualifier next week in Polokwane, when Bafana Bafana play the Elephants of Côte d’Ivoire.
Côte d’Ivoire has seven points while South Africa lags behind with four points.
The Elephants are currently number one in the group standings of the nations cup qualifiers, so Bafana Bafana players picked for the match cannot afford to take it lightly.
If they don’t win that match, a miracle will be needed when they play Burundi a few weeks later.
The Burundi national team was beaten 6-1 by the Elephants in the group 11 nations qualifiers a week ago.
The Trinidad and Tobago match is a preparatory game for Bafana Bafana.
A draw against Côte d’Ivoire will give South Africa a slim chance of playing in the African Cup of Nations; winning that match will put them in the driving seat.
Bafana Bafana coach Ephraim ”Shakes” Mashaba took it upon himself to accept the hot seat in July last year and refused to be moved from it before the recent friendly game against England.
Now he has to prove to both the country and himself that he can deliver the boys into the promised land of Tunisia, where the the African Cup of Nations will be played in January. Mashaba, who last week called up 29 players — including those who had squabbles with the South African Football Association — for both this game and the next one, finds himself without many overseas-based players, either due to injuries or loyalty to their clubs during the Premier League season.
”This was an extended camp as no deadlines were given for player arrivals — but it would have been nice to see all the players, including those from overseas,” said Mashaba. He added that the reason for calling all players was to see their strengths and formulate combinations.
The Bafana Bafana coach said he would not make more than five changes in the game against Trinidad and Tobago.
With the South African League season being over, the match will give otherwise relatively inactive players a chance to fight for a place in the squad. ”The game between Trinidad and Tobago will help me see which players will go to the next game,” said Mashaba.
”I am disappointed that most overseas players could not make it but I understand why as this is not a Fifa-sanctioned game and other players are playing in their respective leagues.”
He added that for next week’s game he expects a full complement of players and if need be will make use of the Federation of International Football Association rule that states that all players should be available to their respective national teams 48 hours before a Fifa-sanctioned match.
Trinidad and Tobago, also known as the ”Soca Warriors”, will be no pushover as they have played and beaten the Bafana Bafana team 2-0 before.
But the South African national team can take solace from the fact that the last game played by the islanders against Kenya in Nairobi ended 1-1.
For Bafana Bafana this weekend’s match will be a game they will have to win if they are to mount a realistic chance of qualifying for the Nations Cup. And, of course, revenge for their previous loss would be sweet.