As time slipped away for Bafana Bafana in the closing stages of their catastrophic 0-0 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying draw against 163rd-ranked Sierra Leone at Atteridgeville’s Super Stadium on Saturday afternoon, coach Joel Santana involuntarily passed his hand across his throat in a motion commonly associated with death.
Whether it signposted the pending demise of the Brazilian coach himself or that of Bafana from the 2010 Africa Nations Cup finals — or both — the gesture seemed entirely appropriate.
No more than two teams from Bafana’s present qualifying group have a chance of making it to the tournament in Angola. Even if South Africa somehow manage to end up in second position, the format envisaged by Fifa and CAF has loaded the dice heavily against the 2010 World Cup hosts avoiding the embarrassment of failing to participate in Africa’s own nations event.
For one thing, only eight of the 12 second-placed teams in the current qualifying segment will go forward to the next qualifying round; for another, Bafana’s two remaining games against sleek Nigeria at home and Equatorial Guinea away pose a formidable obstacle; and finally, if all else succeeds and South Africa manage to win against Equatorial Guinea, who then end up bottom of the group, South Africa’s six points from two wins over the Guineans will be erased in deciding the eight best second-placed teams in accordance with the system devised.
And, in these dire straits, one might only have bemoaned the blasé words of captain Aaron Mokoena before Saturday’s failed encounter against gallant Sierra Leone. ”We’re not even thinking of anything except a victory,” he said, ”and still finishing top of the group as well.”
Top of the group indeed. South Africa have failed dismally in the three past Africa Nations Cup finals and are now almost certainly not participating in the fourth.
The South African Football Association, of course, has to take the lion’s share of blame for the country’s ongoing soccer dilemma, bungling to the bitter end on Saturday by allowing an arid, high-bouncing pitch to be prepared that played right into the hands of Sierra Leone.
And, of course, the players didn’t help either by adopting high-ball tactics against the tall opposing defenders or attempting nifty footwork that was heading in every direction except towards goal.
In simplest terms, this was a game Bafana had to win, but they lacked the nerve, temperament or resolve to achieve the objective — perhaps again starting out over-confident boot.
Although not testing goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune seriously on even one occasion throughout the proceedings, Sierra Leone’s defensive rear guard demonstrated many of the gutsy attributes Bafana lacked.
Early chances were squandered by Bafana, with Terror Fanteni, in particular, having an off-day.
Bafana were unfortunate when a goal midway through the second half was disallowed. But the soccer gods may rightly have deemed that never-say-die Sierra Leone were deserving of a stroke of luck.
It is not Santana’s fault that he was thrown into the Bafana deep end following the unexpected resignation of Carlos Albert Parreira. But it must be said that even at this early juncture there are doubts he is the right man for the job — particularly taking into account the R1,5-million monthly package he is reputed to be receiving. — Sapa