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Bafana to take on Socceroos
07/07/2008 14:03 - (SA)
Johannesburg - The South African Football Association on Monday confirmed Bafana Bafana would play Australian in London next month in a warm-up match for their do-or-die 2010 African Nations Cup qualifier against Nigeria on September 6.
The chief executive officer of the South African Football Association, Raymond Hack said that the match against the Socceroos would be staged at Loftus Road, the home of English club Queens Park Rangers on August 19.
Hack said Bafana coach Joel Santana would assemble his strongest side against Australia who are currently ranked 40th in the world against Bafana's 67th world placing.
Bafana have played Australia five times and have managed to win one and draw one, losing the rest.
Hack also said it was 90% certain the match against the Nigerian Super Eagles would be played at Port Elizabeth's EPRU Stadium. Nigeria scored an easy 2-0 win over a lacklustre Bafana in Abuja in the first round match played last month.
Santana had a tough baptism as Bafana coach when he replaced fellow Brazilian coach Carlos Alberto Parreira a week before the start of the 2010 African Nations Cup qualifying campaign last month.
'We can qualify'
Bafana virtually destroyed their hopes of reaching the continental showpiece in Angola in 2010 after collecting just four points from the same number of qualifiers.
But Hack is the eternal optimist. "The ball is round and we still have a chance to qualify. Nobody including our coach has given up on qualifying for Angola. If we can beat Nigeria, then there is a good chance we can qualify."
The 12 group winners plus the eight best runners up will play in the 2010 Afcon tournament in Angola. At this stage even if Bafana win both their remaining qualifiers they would have to pray that Sierra Leone finish bottom of their group (Group Four).
Bafana have a tricky final qualifier away to Equatorial Guinea in October. Despite the fact Bafana scored their only win in the group beating Equatorial Guinea 4-1 at the Super Stadium it will be tough to get an away win against unpredictable Equatorial Guinea.
Due to the fact that one group has only three sides, the controlling body the Confederation of African Football (Caf) said the results of the teams finishing bottom in the other groups would be expunged. It adds up to making Bafana's job of qualifying for Angola almost impossible.
But stated Hack: "We did not do well in the four qualifiers because we failed to score goals. That is not the coach's fault."
'Bumper turn out'
But it is the coach's fault that he picked a defensive team and formation against Sierra Leone at the Super Stadium last month in a match that Bafana had to win to keep their African dream alive. The game ended in a tame 0-0 draw. Bafana have the previous week lost 1-0 to the inexperienced Leone Stars in Freetown.
Hack said playing Nigeria in PE would help Bafana chances. He said: "PE is one of the venues for the 2009 Confederations Cup and a 2010 World Cup venue. Fans in PE are starved of top class international soccer and we expect a bumper turn out."
Meanwhile Hack said Cameroon had been lined up to play Bafana in the annual Nelson Mandela Challenge on November 19.
Said Hack: "We are busy finalising the deal with Cameroon but should they not agree then Ivory Coast will play Bafana in the Nelson Mandela Challenge. We are still discussing a venue with all parties and will make an announcement when we have made a decision."
- SAPA
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