The road to Egypt and Germany begins in earnest for Bafana Bafana on Saturday when they take on the Cape Verde Islands.Â
The World Cup qualifier against the islanders, ranked 144th in the world, kicks off the national side’s efforts to make it to the 2006 World Cup and African Cup of Nations.Â
This time around the World Cup qualifying games double as Nations Cup qualifiers, with the top three teams in each group going on to play in Egypt in 2006 and the number one team in each group advancing to the same year’s World Cup in Germany.
The new Bafana Bafana coach, Stuart Baxter, has to impress both the demanding South African public and the players if he is to succeed in restoring the Bafana Bafana name to its dizzy heights of 1996.
Baxter himself knows that only a win in Bloemfontein on Saturday can ensure smooth sailing in a job that has had at least 10 incumbents in the past 10 years of democracy. Baxter said: ‘My first game is special to me and I’m hoping to make a big impact.â€
The match against Cape Verde is one of two qualifiers that will take place this month.
After a relatively easy introduction against Cape Verde, who are not seen as a big test for South Africa, the coach will have to get ready a team to play Ghana in Ghana on June 20.
Baxter is a cautious man, who has made sure that he is aware of what the islanders can do despite reports that they are a mediocre side.
He stressed: ‘I will not gamble. This is a vital World Cup qualifier. I have managed to get hold of the Cape Verde squad and every player on the list is based in Portugal expect one, their star midfielder Calo, who plays in Qatar. He has scored seven goals in as many games for his country.â€
In their past seven games, the islanders have drawn two, won three and lost two. Their most recent game was against Swaziland whom they beat 4-1 on aggregate to advance to the group stages of the World Cup qualifiers. This is Cape Verde’s first visit to the World Cup qualifiers while it is South Africa’s third. Before this game South Africa has managed only one friendly — against Australia, which they lost 1-0.Â
Baxter will be looking to diminutive midfielder Benedict Vilakazi to control the game in the middle of the park and also be a shadow striker. The young player was highlighted by the coach as the best in the country. A new role for Bafana Bafana captain Mbulelo Mabizela will be switching from central defence to the defensive midfield, where the coach believes he will be more effective.
This game will see the return of Dutch-based goalkeeper Hans Vonk, the two Charlton Athletic players, defender Mark Fish and leading goalscorer Shaun Bartlett. The only new cap is Copenhagen midfielder Elrio van Heerden, who was given a glowing report by club coach Hans Backe: ‘On the strength of Backe’s recommendation and what I saw in the training camp I held with the overseas based players last month in Surrey, I reckon Van Heerden could play some role for Bafana against Cape Verde,†said Baxter.
The coach hopes that he will have Steve Pienaar and Sibusiso Zuma for the next World Cup qualifying match. Burkina Faso, Congo-Kinshasa and Uganda make up the rest of the group.