Share

Bafana botch-up creates ‘group of death’

Cape Town – The price for South Africa of their damaging away World Cup qualifying defeat to the minnow Cape Verde Islands is the sudden shaping of their group into a truly “up for grabs” characteristic.

In short, it is a very tight quartet - also featuring Group D leaders Burkina Faso, and Senegal – at the midway point of hostilities, with all of them now in the running for the coveted lone spot at the top that will guarantee onward passage to the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Thanks to their shock 2-1 triumph over Bafana Bafana, even the 114th FIFA-ranked islanders have entered the radar as (still unlikely, admittedly) winners of the group.

The three points they picked up – their first from three outings – leaves them only two short of Burkina Faso, who have five, with Senegal and South Africa in second and third respectively on four points each but separated by goal difference.

That could quickly change, of course, if Bafana pull themselves together at short notice by avenging the fiasco at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Tuesday (19:00) against the same foes they were outwitted by in Praia, the little Atlantic Ocean capital of the islands with a population well inside 150 000.

At very least, SA victory may well douse the cheeky fire of Cape Verde as they would then slip to only three points from a possible 12 and almost certain also-ran status, leaving the other three battling for all-important supremacy.

But if they were, say, to grab a point in Durban, they would stay at the races – not to mention particularly mortally puncture Bafana’s bid for a first World Cup-proper presence since 2010 when they were automatic qualifiers as hosts.

A win for South Africa, whether ugly or more compelling, seems absolutely vital if they are to retain realistic interest.

Already the unproductive events in Praia have all but put paid to SAFA president Danny Jordaan’s stated wish for Bafana to get the qualification job done before their stiff closing fixture away to Senegal, highest-ranked African side (31st in the world) in Group D.

That scenario now seems very unlikely; smart money suggests Bafana will probably require at least a point - and perhaps even more - in Dakar now if Russia is still within their reach by then.

One shaft of light is that Bafana have two of their three remaining games on home turf.

As things stand, Group D is the closest thing, amidst the five African pools, to a group of death.

It has the lowest disparity in points terms between top side and bottom, with only two points separating lofty Burkina Faso from wooden-spoonists Cape Verde.

In Group A, Tunisia have a full house of nine (compared to basement Libya’s none), in Group B Nigeria are on nine and Algeria on one, in Group C Ivory Coast have seven and Mali one, whilst in Group E leaders Uganda sport seven and distant Congo also one.

Here are the remaining Group D fixtures:

Tuesday:  South Africa v Cape Verde Islands (Durban), Burkina Faso v Senegal (Ouagadougou)

October 7: South Africa v Burkina Faso (Johannesburg), Cape Verde Islands v Senegal (Praia)

November 6: Burkina Faso v Cape Verde Islands (Ouagadougou), Senegal v South Africa (Dakar)

*Follow our chief writer on Twitter: @RobHouwing

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1470 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2249 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE