ACTUALITE |
21.01.2002
Brave Burkina Faso rattle Bafana Bafana
SEGOU
Brave Burkina Faso caused the first upset of the African Nations Cup by drawing 0-0 with South Africa in a rugged Group B clash on Sunday.
South Africa`s under-fire coach Carlos Queiroz said after that the draw was a fair reflection of the game but at the same time his team faced "physical intimidation".
"I`m not disappointed. The draw was a fair result. We lost a player and it was very difficult to play our skillful football. We faced a lot of physical intimidation but my players never quit. We always tried to play unfortunately we failed to score. That was my disappiontment," Queiroz said.
"If this is the way all our matches will be, we will not end the tournament with most of our first team."
The Portuguese coach added that Bafana Bafana are now hard-pressed to get the results against both Ghana and Morocco in this group.
"The six points are in front of us. We now need to go out there and fight for them," he said.
England-based striker Shaun Barlett limped out of the game as early as the 14th minute with a calf muscle injury. But he said later he will know by Monday how serious the injury is.p
"I don`t know whether I will be fit for the next game. I hope it`s not that bad. The doctors will have a look at me," said the top scorer of the last edition of the championship two years ago.
Burkinabe coach Jacques Yameogo said on the eve of the match that his team would fight like warriors and they did, rattling Bafana Bafana (The Boys) into numerous unforced errors.
The Stallions could even have won on a warm evening with Moumouni Dagano spurning a chance in each half.
Dagano burst clear late in the opening half, but his pass to unmarked Oumar Barro was poor and a golden opportunity lost to rock the team ranked second in Africa behind Tunisia.
Midway through the second half the Burkinabe striker watched his header fly just off target with a South African defence lacking the leadership of injured Lucas Radebe in disarray. p
Assistant coach Piouhiri Webonga said he was satisfied with the outcome of the match while looking forward to the next match against Morocco.
"It was always going to be difficult playing against a top team like South Africa. They are one of the five teams who will represent Africa at the World Cup," he said.
"Against Morocco we will take our chances and hopefully win."
But the best chances of breaking the deadlock in a town 220 kilometres north-east of the Malian capital, Bamako, fell to the South Africans 72 minutes into the game.
An electrifying run by substitute Siyabonga Nomvete took him into the penalty area and his cross set up a shot which was blocked by Brahima Cisse with goalkeeper Mohamed Kabore beaten.
But the seemingly overweight Kabore recovered to push a headed rebound on to the crossbar and, when the ball broke loose, another South African shot was cleared off the line by Mamadou Tall.
Bafana Bafana, first in 1996, second two years later and third in 2000, must have realised then that it was not going to be their day against rivals who suffered two late pre-tournament blows.
Argentine coach Luis Oscar Fullone was fired for spending too much time with his ill wife in France and leading striker Mamadou Zongo had to withdraw due to a recurring knee injury.
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