ACTUALITE |
14.01.2008
South Africa: Gunning for a Second Title
They are expected to excel in Ghana in order to keep the 2010 hopes alive.
In 1991 after the disappearance of the apartheid system, a new multiracial South African Football Association was formed known as the South African Football Association (SAFA). On 7 July 1992 the South African National team played their first game in two decades, beating Cameroon1-0 in Durban. After the encouraging victory over the Indomitable Lions, the South African national squad named “Bafana Bafana” meaning “The Boys” went ahead to host and win the 1996 African Nations Cup. This further encouraged them to eye the 1998 and 2002 World Cups but they failed to get out of the first round.
During the African Nations Cup of 2006, South Africa failed to impress local supporters. They were unable to score a single goal in the tournament. In light of the poor performances, a more experienced manager hired for the team. Rumours began to fly, with the former England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson said to be the man for the job and the South African Football Association (SAFA) ready to offer him R30 million to coach the Bafana-Bafana.
These rumour did not materialised. Instead the former Brazilian coach, Carlos Alberto Parreira grabbed the job. He was awarded a R100 million for a four-year contract. Since taking over, South Africa has improved tremendously both on the field and FIFA ranking with the last classification placing them 53rd on the FIFA/Coca Cola World Ranking.
Twelve years after hosting and wining the 1996 African Cup of Nations, the South African football team is still running for a second continental title. The last time they came close to realising their dream was during the 1998 African nation’s cup in Burkina Faso where they ended as runners-up.
However, to qualify for the 2008 Ghana football expedition, the team ended second in group 11 with eleven points from three wins, two draws, one lost, four goals against and ten goals scored. Since their qualification, the South African football Association has left no stone unturned. Apart from putting emphasis on the restructuring of the team for 2010, they have earmarked a series of training encounters to keep the guys in top form and made public a list of twenty-three man-squad. Only four of the 23 players who took part in Egypt have been named in the squad. While captain, Aaron Mokoena will be heading the team, a major absence will be Benny Mc Carthy. Meanwhile, Bafana-Bafana players to watch for will be Tshepo Masilela of Maccabi Haifa in Israel and Steven Pienaar who plays for English club Everton. They will begin their group D campaign on January 23, against Angola followed by Tunisia and then Senegal in Temale.
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