After losing back-to-back matches to the tiny Cape Verde Islands last month‚ any chance that Bafana Bafana have of sneaking through the backdoor and securing World Cup qualification is dependent on Stuart Baxter’s team winning their remaining three matches … plus seeing the results of two of the other games going their way.
The double flop was a near mortal blow to Bafana’s hopes but there is still a small pulse that qualification to Russia is still attainable‚ even if it will be something of a miracle.
Firstly what is non negotiable is the fact South Africa must beat Burkina Faso at Soccer City on Saturday and then go on to win their double November confrontation against Senegal‚ which includes the match that FIFA have ordered to be replayed.
That would be a nine-point haul for South Africa and give them a total of 10 for the campaign.
It would also mean that Burkina Faso would not be able to get more than nine points and Senegal would not get more than eight.
The maximum number of points that the Cape Verde can get is 12 and so it is imperative that they lose one of their remaining two games.
Cape Verde take on Senegal in Praia on Saturday‚ kicking off at 7.30pm‚ some two hours after the final whistle of South Africa’s match against Bafana Bafana.
The best-case scenario for South Africa would be for the Cape Verdians to beat Senegal – thereby also taking the edge off South Africa’s November opponents – and the Cape Verde losing their last game away in Burkina Faso.
In that case‚ and if South Africa win their last three qualifiers‚ the Group D standings will be South Africa on 10 points‚ Burkina Faso and the Cape Verde Islands on nine and Senegal on five.
Unlike the other continents‚ only the top place finisher in Africa’s five qualifying groups gets to play at next year’s World Cup.
It might seem something of a stretch‚ but the above scenario is something for South African supporters to hang onto in the next couple of days.
As the cliche goes‚ “stranger things have happened in the game of football”.
- TimesLIVE
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