A depleted, derided Bafana Bafana may already have exceeded all expectations in the Concacaf Gold Cup, but how the magical carpet ride is ultimately judged could depend on the outcome of Sunday’s ”Round About Midnight” (SA time) quarter-final against Panama at Houston’s ultra-modern Reliant Stadium.
This was the view of Stanley ”Screamer” Tshabalala in an interview from a hot, sultry Houston, with the Bafana general manager declaring the experience of being considered favourites was ”a new challenge for Bafana.”
”At 98, Panama are by far the lowest-ranked team remaining in the Gold Cup,” said Tshabalala, ”and after our achievements, notably beating Cup holders Mexico, the pundits are placing odds on Bafana reaching the semi-finals against either the Mexicans or Colombia.
”This in itself would be a momentous achievement with what was initially considered a makeshift combination,” said the Bafana general manager, ”and even if we lost to a team of Mexico or Colombia’s calibre, it would take little of the gloss off the journey.
”Losing to Panama, however,” he added, ”would be a different story — and that’s way so much hangs on the quarter-final.”
In the circumstances, it is not surprising that Tshabalala reveals that an atmosphere of ”high expectancy” is hovering over the Bafana camp, with the line-up for the Panama game expected to show few changes from that which shocked Mexico in the opening fixture.
”We know Panama cannot be under-rated,” said Tshabalala. ”Their playing style based on clinical, short-passing is similar to that of Guatemala, with whom we drew 1-1 in the last game, and who like us, have produced surprisingly good results in the tournament.”
Indications, therefore, are that in the stadium with a retractable roof and a seating capacity of over 60 000 the outcome could develop into ”a mind game.”
In the right, resolute frame of mind Bafana could savour the prestige of reaching their first semi-final in an official Fifa tournament since the 2000 African Nations Cup in Ghana. Without it much of the magic of their carpet ride will be diluted, if not nullified. – Sapa