BAFANA Bafana coach Gordon Igesund will quickly want to forget Sunday night, but it is unlikely South Africa and his bosses will let him.
South Africa were booted out of the African Nations Championship after losing 3-1 to Nigeria, a team that had looked disjointed throughout this competition until Sunday night, when they produced their best performance.
A third-place finish in a tournament that appeared designed for Bafana to clinch on home soil only revealed the crisis South African football is in.
The report will read that while the Premier Soccer League pulls in big revenue in sponsors and broadcast deals, its national team, which boasted a strong, locally based side, is bumbling if not mediocre.
Igesund had made as many as four changes to his line-up, once against fiddling with the team just as he did in Bafana’s 1-1 draw against Mali last week, a game that made life difficult for him and his men, given their poor record against Nigeria in tournament football.
On the eve of this final Group A clash — which South Africa only needed a draw from to progress to the quarterfinals here this coming weekend following a win against Mozambique and a stalemate when head to head with Mali — Igesund confirmed Bafana had been dealt a major blow. Itumeleng Khune, captain and goalkeeper, would miss the encounter after injuring his ankle in their second group match at this venue last week.
Igesund did not sit on the fence regarding a replacement, bringing on Moeneeb Josephs between the sticks. With Sunday’s result, the Super Eagles getting two first-half goals from Christantus Ejike and Ifeanyi Ede, the writing was on the wall for Igesund. And when Ejike added his second and Nigeria’s third of the night, it became increasingly clear that Igesund’s bosses would struggle to sit on the fence about the coach’s job.
No one would have seen this coming. The Cape Town Stadium was almost packed to the roof for the first time since the tournament kicked off on January 11.
Bafana were perhaps given a lifeline when the Super Eagles were reduced to 10 men, with Kwambe Solomon getting sent off in the 72nd minute. However, two minutes later, Bafana right-back Vuyo Mere was also sent for an early shower for a second yellow card. That summed it up following a nightmare first half.
Even though Bernard Parker scored from yet another penalty, it was way too late for Bafana to stage a comeback.
Nigeria were long through.
Khune’s absence came to really hurt Bafana. In the 22nd minute, Mere had been beaten in an aerial challenge that led to the opening goal. And Josephs fouled Fuad Salami in the 32nd minute to give the Super Eagles a penalty, which Ede converted with ease.
Nigeria were clinical. Simply put, South Africa were poor and seemed to have done no work on their defence in the build-up to this encounter.
Meanwhile, a penalty deep into injury time handed Mali a deserved 2-1 victory over Mozambique at the Athlone Stadium on Sunday night and cemented their place at the top of Group A.
The first two goals came in quick succession on either side of half-time as Mozambique took the lead through Josemar, before Ibourahima Sidibe equalised for the superior Mali. It looked as though the points would be shared, until substitute Idrissa Traore was brought down in the box late on and he stepped up to score with virtually the last kick of the game.
Mali will now stay in Cape Town to meet the runners-up in Group B in the first quarterfinal on Saturday.
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