Bafana Bafana has traditionally struggled against Nigeria. But going into this weekend’s key 2010 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier, Joel Santana’s boys could take advantage of a troubled and under-strength Super Eagles team.
Nigeria go into the match without four regulars: Portsmouth’s Nwankwo Kanu, Newcastle’s Obafemi Martins, Chelsea’s John Obi Mikel and Everton’s Joseph Yobo, all out because of injury.
The squad has also been rattled by bizarre talk among pundits in Nigeria of replacing it en masse with the under-23 Nigerian team that were the
losing finalists to Argentina at the Beijing Olympics.
While football commentators talk up Argentina’s chances at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, no one takes the silver medallists seriously because of the organisational chaos and complacency they routinely exhibit.
This appears to be a pattern in Nigeria where achievement seems to sit at ease with mediocrity.
Already, the usual problems are creeping in: complacency, a prima donna attitude, organisational chaos, injuries and bad fortune.
But history is weighted against South Africa, as Bafana Bafana have never beaten — or even scored against — Nigeria in a competitive match. In 1992 the Super Eagles defeated South Africa 4-0 in a qualifying match for the World Cup in the United States in 1994 and then drew 0-0 at the FNB Stadium in the return fixture.
At the Africa Cup of Nations in 2000 Nigeria beat South Africa 2-0. They comprehensively outplayed Bafana in Tunisia in 2004, winning 4-0. But Bafana Bafana assistant coach Pitso Mosimane insisted this week that football predictions should not be based on history.
‘Yes, history is there for the statistics, but those change. There was a time where Zambia hadn’t lost a match on their home ground in 20 years and we went there and won the match. Also, we shouldn’t concentrate on who is in the Nigerian team and who is not.
‘We need to make sure we’re well prepared for a team like Nigeria, which has a pool of good players playing in top leagues across the world.
‘When we played against them in Abuja we didn’t have Benni McCarthy, Sibusiso Zuma and Nasief
Morris — and they didn’t go on about who was there and not there. They just focused on their game,†Mosimane said.
Coach Santana said South Africa would have to ‘fight and fight hard. It will be a war on Saturday.â€
Indeed, the local squad’s prospects are better than they have ever been.
The match is to be played at the Eastern Province Rugby Union’s stadium in Port Elizabeth, giving Bafana a home-ground advantage. This does not apply in Johannesburg, where the Nigerians enjoy the enthusiastic backing of thousands of their compatriots living in the inner city.
Bafana Bafana are placed second on the group four table with four points, the same as third-placed Sierra Leone. Equatorial Guinea lies at the bottom of the table with three points. Nigeria, who top the group with 12 points from four matches, have already qualified. This could have some effect on their levels
of intensity.
Nigeria’s assistant coach, Daniel Amokachi, told the Kickoff website this week that although his team have qualified, they will take Saturday’s match seriously.
‘We know that in football anything can happen, but we are not going with a losing mentality. Every game is important, because the people must continue to play together and get used to each other,†he said.
Although South Africa will try to banish a 2-0 loss in the reverse fixture in Nigeria, they will be buoyed by a commendable draw against Australia in London last month in which Benni McCarthy signalled his importance to the team. McCarthy helped to create the first goal with a cheeky back-heel in the 2-2 draw with the Socceroos.
Despite uncertainty about McCarthy’s fitness earlier in the week because of his groin injury, he will be starting on Saturday.
There are doubts about the suitability of error-prone Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune who conceded two unnecessary goals against the Australians.
On the other hand, the defence should be boosted by the return of Matthew Booth, while the team’s main strength remains in the midfield with Teko Modise, Kagiso Dikgacoi, Siyabonga Nkosi and Lefa Tsutsulupa.
Sadly, Bafana Bafana’s destiny is not entirely in their hands. Even a win will not mean automatic qualification, as the result of the other Group Four match in Freetown, between Sierra Leone and Equatorial Guinea, could decide whether they go to Angola in 2010.
Bafana Bafana will be hoping desperately that Sierra Leone lose.
Mosimane sounded upbeat in this week’s interview. ‘Preparations have been going very well, the players know that we need nothing less than a win on Saturday,†he said.
‘We’re all ready for whatever Nigeria throws at us.â€