ACTUALITE |
03.02.2002
Pressure`s on Mali to reach semi-final, says South Africa coach
KAYES
South Africa coach Carlos Queiroz has engaged in psychological warfare ahead of Sunday`s African Nations Cup quarter-final with Mali, insisting it is the host nation who are under pressure to perform.
Queiroz, who himself has been feeling the heat during the tournament, said he believed the weight of a nation`s hopes could bear heavily on Mali as they enter the knockout phase.
"The pressure will not be on South Africa on Sunday. It will be on Mali. They are playing at home and a lot is expected of them," said Queiroz.
"This is the second stage of the competition and it is everything for the winner and nothing for the loser. The only thing is to win."
England-based defender Pierre Issa added: "There is no pressure on us. We just have to play well and take the game. We have everything to go all the way to the final."
Queiroz said the quarter-final will not be any easier for his team despite being played at the 15,000-capacity Abdoullaye Makoro Sissoko Stadium in Kayes, about 500 kilometres west of Bamako.
Queiroz praised Mali, who defeated South Africa 2-1 in a friendly match last year, for standing up to the best teams here.
"I have been very impressed with Mali. The quality of their play, their players and the attitude of the team have made them one of the best teams here," he said.
"They have a lot of good players - no 9 (Mamadou Bagayoko), 10 (Soumaila Coulibaly) and 12 (Seydou Keita)."
The youthful Malian team, with an average age of 24, drew with powerful Nigeria and Liberia and then defeated Algeria 2-0 to advance from Group A and get their fans dreaming of even bigger things.
Mali`s coach Henri Kasperczak said his side have improved with every game and expects influential Lens defender Adama Coulibaly back in the team after missing the Algeria match through injury.
Two years ago, Bafana Bafana showed strength of character when they defied massive home support and defeated host team Ghana Black Stars in the quarter-final of the Nations Cup in Kumasi.
Queiroz, a former coach of Portugal, came under fire after the 1996 champions failed to score in their first two games at this Nations Cup and it was not until they defeated Morocco 3-1 in their final group match that they were assured a place in the quarter-finals.
"The worse is behind us," he told AFP. "After the first round, my players are more confident, more relaxed and we can play even better football."
And against a young and inspired home team, he said he planned to attack with his best players including captain Shaun Bartlett, who has recovered from a calf injury in time for the weekend showdown.
"We will attack when we have the ball and when we don`t have the ball, we must defend well so that we are not surprised," Queiroz said.
"I`m happy Bartlett is back in the team, he trained well on Friday and looked sharp. And for sure he can play against Mali," he continued.
"He will either start or come on in the second-half. He is one of our most important players especially for this kind of match."
The 29-year-old Charlton Athletic striker has been sorely missed since he was injured early in the team`s opening Group B match against Burkina Faso.
Italy-based Siyabonga Nomvethe, who came on as a substitute to turn the table against Morocco with a goal and two assists, is therefore not guaranteed a place in the starting line up with Bartlett`s return.
Full-back Bradley Carnell, who plays in Germany, is still nursing an ankle injury but team officials are confident he will play beyond the pain barrier like he did against Morocco on Wednesday.
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