Bafana brace for war

18 January 2013 - 02:26 By MARC STRYDOM
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Bafana players warm up during a training session at Orlando Stadium this week. South Africa kick off their Afcon campaign with a match against the hard-tackling Cape Verde at Soccer City tomorrow evening Picture: DUIF DU TOIT/GALLO IMAGES
Bafana players warm up during a training session at Orlando Stadium this week. South Africa kick off their Afcon campaign with a match against the hard-tackling Cape Verde at Soccer City tomorrow evening Picture: DUIF DU TOIT/GALLO IMAGES

Bafana Bafana's patient build-ups and passing game meet brute force and hard running in the form of Cape Verde Islands in the opening game of the Africa Nations Cup at Soccer City tomorrow evening.

South Africa host their second Nations Cup after winning on home soil in 1996 and are hopeful, if not overly confident, of a convincing run by the current generation.

The biggest factor in their favour is their support and home-ground advantage. In the 2010 World Cup that was just not enough to carry South Africa past the opening round, with struck posts and missed chances a factor, but that was a bigger stage. Finishing is again the big question-mark for Gordon Igesund's line-up.

In Group A Cape Verde are the supposed minnows, but are ranked the highest, in 70th place in the world, ahead of Morocco (74th), Angola (78th) and South Africa (85th). The tightly grouped rankings point to a closely fought group.

That makes a win in the opening game all the more important, especially for the hosts. Ticket sales for their next two matches in Durban - against Angola on Wednesday and Morocco next Sunday - have been slow. If they beat Cape Verde, KZN's renowned football lovers will pack Moses Mabhida Stadium.

A convincing win tomorrow would be the kick-start Bafana need to go far in the tournament. But they will have to do it against a Cape Verde who have shown in their warm-up friendlies that they have no qualms about kicking opponents to make up for a lack of genuine quality. That approach was enough to down Cameroon at home and away in the Afcon qualifiers.

The SA press and public have not been encouraged by Bafana's 1-0 warm-up defeat against Norway and 0-0 draw with Algeria. But Igesund said he has yet to field his absolute strongest line-up and show all his cards, and Bafana will have that something extra they need come tomorrow at 6pm.

"I have been very careful about how I do things leading up to this tournament," Igesund said. "I wanted to see certain things. If I have gone about it in a way you guys [the press] didn't like, who knows.

"If I have thrown a few curve balls, I had to do it because I couldn't say: 'Cape Verde, here is the team I will play, have a good look at it'."

The Bafana defence almost picks itself: goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune, Anele Ngcongca, captain Bongani Khumalo, Siyabonga Sangweni and Tsepo Masilela.

Kagisho Dikgacoi has resumed full training and is expected to start in defensive midfield. An overly quiet performance by Dean Furman against Algeria could see Reneilwe Letsholonyane start next to Dikgacoi.

Igesund's options at playmaker are Lerato Chabangu and Thulani Serero, who can both also play on the wing. Siphiwe Tshabalala and Katlego Mphela seem the certainties in a potential three-man forward line.

Much will depend on whether Serero and Mphela can recover from recent rustiness.

Igesund has said the islanders, who have recruited greatly from their emigrant community in Europe, especially Portugal, play more like Europeans than Africans.

It will take calm nerves from Bafana in front of 90000 people to overcome such uncomfortable opponents.

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