Tough for SA, but not the worst draw

26 June 2016 - 02:00 By MARK GLEESON

South Africa will be up against a quality collection of premier league strikers, a gutsy group of islanders and the unpredictable "land of the upright people" as they seek a place at the World Cup in Russia in two years' time. But it could have been a lot worse as the draw for the final round of African qualifiers for the 2018 finals was conducted in Egypt on Friday evening.While three of the five African countries that competed at the last World Cup in Brazil have been grouped together (Algeria, Cameroon and Nigeria in Group A), Bafana escaped a much more difficult assignment as the names were pulled from balls in glass pots on the stage at a Cairo hotel.Here is a look at the opponents.BURKINA FASO:'Les Etalons' (the Stallions) have beaten Bafana Bafana once in seven previous meetings, with four defeats and two draws.The two countries, with the Cape Verde Islands, were in the same World Cup qualifying group for the 2006 finals in Germany but Ghana topped the table to go to the finals. Portuguese coach Paulo Duarte returned for a second spell in charge of the Burkinabe last December.story_article_left1He had got them into trouble in his first spell when he persuaded the government to hand out passports to some Brazilian players so he could strengthen his national team. Fifa nixed the plan. But he got away, for a while, with some extraneous Cameroonians and Ivorians in the side before they were caught out and Burkina Faso handed a sanction. Now the squad looks more genuine with the lesson hopefully learnt.Daouda Diakite from Free State Stars has lost his berth as first-choice goalkeeper but is still in the squad but defender Robert Sankara has not been picked for a while. Former Chippa United striker Aristides Bance leads the attack with Bertrand Traore of Chelsea and his elder brother Alain, who plays in Ligue 1. Jonathan Pitroipa, voted the best player at the 2012 African Nations Cup final in South Africa, is also still a force.CAPE VERDE ISLANDS:The tiny island archipelago has become the fairy tale of African football over the last year and must be treated with respect, even if their population is the size of that of Mamelodi.Cape Verde rose from obscurity to two successive Nations Cup final appearances, plus a five-month run as the highest placed African side in the Fifa rankings, on the back of a concerted bid to strengthen their national team with players from the Diaspora.By actively seeking out players of Cape Verdian heritage, born or raised in Europe, to bolster their squad had the almost immediate effect of elevating the tiny island nation to a Nations Cup finalist, their shock elimination of the mighty Cameroon in the 2013 qualifiers making a major statement about their potential.The rapid ascent continued at the tournament itself with a shock quarterfinal place, followed by a close call in the 2014 World Cup qualifiers, stymied only by an administrative error when they were docked points for using a player who should have been sitting out a key qualifier because of suspension.As a result they did not make the decisive play-offs despite a famous away victory in Tunisia. But Cape Verde returned to the 2015 Nations Cup finals, eliminated without losing a game and then went top of the African rankings, reinforcing a rapidly gained reputation.story_article_right2SENEGAL:The names Sadio Mane, Biriam Mame Diouf, Cheikh Kouyate and Papiss Cisse feature regularly in weekly coverage of England's premier league and are evidence of the deep reservoir of talent at the disposal of the Senegalese. All play for top teams with Mane this week linked with a move from Southampton to Liverpool.Keita Balde Diao of Lazio, 21, is the latest off a long production line of exciting talent and Chelsea last season signed defender Papy Djilobodji, loaning him out to the Bundesliga for experience. Rarely do they pick a home-based player while Orlando Pirates' Issa Sarr is a rare exception in being based outside of Europe, although he is still only a squad member but is waiting for a run out.Senegal have only been to a single World Cup but made an impact in Japan and South Korea in 2002, beating holders France in the opening game and going on to become only the second African country to reach the last eight. They are also Bafana's bogey team, having gone six games unbeaten against South Africa. There have been two competitive clashes - both 1-1 draws - at past Nations Cup tournaments and four friendlies, which have seen two Senegal victories and two draws. Senegal are coached by Aliou Cisse, their captain in 2002.The former defender spent most of his career in France, including a spell at Paris St Germain, and also played in England for Birmingham City and Portsmouth.- TMG Digital..

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