While Bafana Bafana on Tuesday took a further step towards closing ranks for their away African Nations Cup qualifying game with 19 of the 20 players now ensconced in their Johannesburg camp, the modestly regarded minnows of Chad were not allowing the dust to settle under their feet in dusty Ndjamena — the venue for Saturday’s game.
Indeed, information from Chad indicates that the hosts are intent on having a major impact on the international soccer scene for what might well be the first time.
Chad have engaged in an intense series of conditioning games in the past three weeks that have enabled them to catapult up the Fifa world rankings from 149th to 135th in the wake of a 1-0 success against Benin, a 3-2 victory over the Central African Republic and a 2-0 Cemac Cup defeat against 98th-ranked Gabon.
It’s hardly earth-shattering in the context of world football, but an indication, nevertheless, that the tiny state that would fit comfortably into the Free State are not planning on lying down and proving easy meat for Bafana.
Having lost 2-0 to Zambia at home and 3-0 to the Congo away in their two group-11 Nations Cup qualifying games, Chad seem determined to defying the widespread supposition that they are destined for six defeats in this section.
Meanwhile, the report from the Bafana camp is that Delron Buckley and Nasief Morris arrived from Switzerland and Greece respectively on Tuesday and only Denmark-based Siyabonga Nomvete remains an absentee — with assurances given that he would ”definitely” arrive on Wednesday.
Bafana are due to have two more gruelling training sessions on Wednesday before departing for Chad on Thursday. — Sapa