16 November 2011

An experimental Bafana Bafana line-up, showing nine changes from the team that did duty in the Nelson Mandela Challenge, fell 2-1 to Zimbabwe in a friendly international played at Rufaro Stadium in Harare on Tuesday evening.

The Zimbabwean team featured many players with experience of the Premier Soccer League, and it was a former Kaizer Chiefs' star, Knowledge Musona, who proved to be the difference, as he struck twice to bring victory to the home side.

"The boys did well under the circumstances," Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane told Safa.net after the game. "We made just one defensive error and we were punished.

'We deserved a draw'

"I really believe we deserved a draw out of this match. We faced a very good Zimbabwe side that made it difficult for us, which was a good exercise for the young ones to get and experience the stress of international football.

"It was a worthwhile outing for me," he added, "as I got something out of this clash, which was to see where the goals will come from.

"Bradley [Grobler] made his debut and scored, and that is a positive, which shows with time it will come. But we lost to a better team and there are no excuses," he concluded.

Zimbabwe began the contest well, using their width to attack Bafana, but Mosimane's charges slowly but surely started to take control of the midfield and the game.

Bafana goal

It took until just before the half-hour for a breakthrough to be made and it came the way of striker Bradley Grobler, who produced a composed finish past goalkeeper Tapuwa Kapini after being set up by Teko Modise.

Shortly after that Bafana had an opportunity to double their advantage when Kermit Erasmus got onto the end of a long ball, but a good save from the goalie denied the SuperSport United striker.

Zimbabwean reply

Matters turned the way of Zimbabwe in the second half and eight minutes in the 21-year-old Musona, who joined German club Hoffenheim on a five-year deal this season, netted his fifth goal for his country when he got onto the end of a pinpoint cross from Tapiwa Khumbuyani and headed home.

Another eight minutes passed before he netted his second of the night. It began when he robbed central defender Bevan Fransman of possession and ended with a well-placed shot past Moeneeb Josephs, just inside the goalkeeper' inside post.

Bafana managed only one chance in the second half, but Kapini, in the Zimbabwean goal, kept out an effort by Modise to maintain his side's advantage.

The 2-1 victory was Zimbabwe's first win over South Africa since 2003, but their fifth in total in 12 meetings between the teams.

Bafana in 2011

The match was South Africa's final international of 2011, and it brought the curtain down on a disappointing year that had promised so much until a bad miscalculation contributed to the team missing out on the 2012 African Cup of Nations finals in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

The most disappointing results of the year were a 2-1 loss to Niger in Niamey and the goalless draw against Sierra Leone that followed it and meant Bafana missed out on the continental finals.

Three results stood out as being especially satisfying, two of them against Egypt: a 1-0 win in Johannesburg and a goalless draw in the cauldron of Cairo. No doubt, the most impressive victory was a 3-0 success against Burkina Faso.

During the year, the team rose as high as 35th in the world, but inactivity and a few disappointing results see it in 49th place at present.

2011 RESULTS

Played 9, won 4, drew 3, lost 2

• 09 Feb: Rustenburg, SA 2-0 Kenya
• 26 Mar: Johannesburg, SA 1-0 Egypt
• 14 May: Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania 0-1 SA
• 05 Jun: Cairo, Egypt 0-0 SA
• 10 Aug: Johannesburg, SA 3-0 Burkina Faso
• 04 Sep: Niamey, Niger 2-1 SA
• 08 Oct: Nelspruit, SA 0-0 Sierra Leone
• 12 Nov: Port Elizabeth, SA 1-1 Côte d'Ivoire
• 15 Nov: Harare, Zimbabwe 1-2 SA

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A stunning free kick by Katlego Mphela saw Bafana Bafana come from behind to earn a 1-all draw with Africa's top ranked team, Cote D'Ivoire, in the annual Nelson Mandela Challenge in Port Elizabeth on Saturday.

The result means South Africa remains undefeated in five matches against the Ivorians, with one win and four draws.

Pitso Mosimane's men had fallen behind on an own goal by Siboniso Gaxa, but Mphela's second-half free kick left goalkeeper Boubacar Barry rooted to the spot.

It was the best possible reply the Mamelodi Sundowns' striker could muster towards a section of the crowd that had booed him throughout the first half.

'Mphela is the best we have'

Coach Mosimane was less than impressed by the boo boys and offered his backing for the striker at the post-match press conference, saying: "If there is anyone better than Mphela, I want that name. All the coaches and journalists must give me that name. We need that name. It's a fact, Mphela is the best we have."

Immediately after the game, in an on-field interview, he had expressed his disappointment in the number of opportunities his charges had spurned.

Overall, Mosimane was positive about his side’s performance. "We did well and showed that we can play well against the best, but we are not there yet, not convincing enough," he said.

"At the end, it was a credible performance and I think we redeemed ourselves to give the country what it deserves."

Satisfied

The Ivorians' coach, Francois Zahoui, said that he too was on the whole satisfied with his team's showing, although he admitted they have plenty to work on before the African Cup of Nations finals, which kick off on 21 January 2012.

Playing in new jerseys, South Africa started the game off fairly well, but Gervinho was giving Tsepo Masilela a tough time, and matters became worse when Masilela suffered an injury which forced him from the field after 26 minutes.

He was replaced by Siboniso Gaxa, which meant replacing a natural left-footer with a right-footed player on the left. Interestingly, in the first half, Siphiwe Tshabalala, a left-footer, was used wide on the right. It didn't work, but when he returned to the left in the second stanza, he shone.

The Ivorians' fired the first shot of the contest when winger Seydou Doumbia forced an early save out of Bafana net-minder Moeneeb Josephs.

Good chance

Mphela had a good chance to put Bafana in front a quarter-of-an-hour into the game after Reneilwe Letsholonyane played him in with a neat ball, but Mphela's weak left-footed effort was easily dealt with by the goalkeeper.

The visitors then appeared to have a clear-cut penalty disallowed after Gervinho was brought down in the box. The Ivorians were angered by the non-call, so much so that captain Didier Zokora earned himself a caution because of his protesting.

With 30 minutes played, Barry pulled off a good save of a Morgan Gould header, which came from a Tshabalala free kick.

Own goal

Six minutes later the deadlock was broken when Gaxa headed into his own net after some miscommunication in defence, which gave the Ivory Coast a 1-0 advantage.

Goalie Josephs was called on to make a save with his feet from Doumbia with five minutes remaining, but the final chance of the half went the way of South Africa when Kagisho Dikgacoi set up Mphela, but he again failed to find a meaningful finish.

Stunning precision

Seven minutes into the second stanza, Bafana levelled matters when Mphela took responsibility for a free kick on the left hand side of the field and with stunning precision found the bottom right hand corner of Barry's net with his shot.

Buoyed by the goal, Bafana upped the pressure on Cote D'Ivoire and Barry needed some sharp reflexes to prevent Siaka Tiene netting an own goal.

On the hour-mark, the Elephants almost took the lead again, but Josephs did well to keep out efforts by Doumbia and Gradel Max.

The level of play dropped a little as the game drew towards its conclusion, but with the end nearing Anele Ngcongca found Mphela with a cross from the right. The striker's header was stopped by Barry, and Ngconga's effort to slot the rebound was snuffed out.

An extra game has been added to Bafana Bafana's schedule after the South African Football Association arranged a friendly international against neighbours Zimbabwe, to be played at the Rufaro Stadium in Harare on Tuesday, 15 November.

The clash, South Africa's last of 2011, comes three days after Bafana play Africa's number one ranked team, Ivory Coast, in a highly-anticipated Nelson Mandela Challenge match at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth.

"We are very excited at having two great opponents inside three days. This should give Bafana Bafana head coach Pitso Mosimane and the boys an ideal workout and keep them in top condition," said South African Football Association CEO Robin Petersen.

'Should be an interesting game'

"The Zimbabwe encounter should be an interesting game, taking into consideration that most players in the Zimbabwe National team ply their trade in the Absa Premiership," added Petersen.

The last time the two neighbours met was early last year (27 January 2010) in a World Cup warm-up match at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.

On that occasion, South Africa recorded a resounding 3-0 victory, with goals from Siphiwe Tshabalala, Thulasizwe Mbuyane and Lucas Thwala.

Overall record

Since 1992, South Africa and Zimbabwe have met 11 times, with Bafana claiming six victories, Zimbabwe winning four times, and one match being drawn.

Zimbabwe's biggest win was in the first meeting in 1992, when they romped to a 4-1 victory. South Africa's 3-0 win last time out was their biggest winning margin over Zimbabwe.

Bafana have faced their Nelson Mandela Challenge opponents, Ivory Coast, four times previously, and on three of those four occasions the matches have ended in draws, with only two them failing to produce a goal.

The last time the teams met was way back in June 2003, with South Africa winning 2-1 in Johannesburg.

South Africa vs Zimbabwe

• 16/08/1992: Harare, Zimbabwe 4-1 SA
• 24/04/1993: Johannesburg, SA 1-1 Zimbabwe
• 24/04/1994: Mmabatho, SA 1-0 Zimbabwe
• 26/11/1995: Johannesburg, SA 2-0, Zimbabwe
• 16/06/1999: Johannesburg, SA 0-1 Zimbabwe
• 09/07/2000: Harare, Zimbabwe 0- 2 SA
• 29/07/2000: Port Elizabeth, SA 0-1 Zimbabwe
• 05/05/2001: Johannesburg, SA 2-1 Zimbabwe
• 19/07/2003: East London, SA 0-1 Zimbabwe
• 11/03/2008: Johannesburg, SA 2-1 Zimbabwe
• 27/01/2010: Durban, SA 3-0 Zimbabwe

• South Africa vs Ivory Coast

• 30/11/1994: Port Elizabeth, SA 0-0 Ivory Coast
• 11/02/1998: Bobo Dioulasso, SA 1-1 Ivory Coast
• 08/09/2002: Abidjan, Ivory Coast 0-0 SA
• 22/06/2003: Johannesburg, SA 2-1 Ivory Coast

• SAinfo reporter

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Bafana Bafana will face the Ivory Coast in the 17th edition of the Nelson Mandela Challenge, which will take place at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth on Saturday, 12 November. Kickoff is at 3.15.

It will be the second time that the match will be played in the province of birth of the iconic Nelson Mandela. Previously, Bafana Bafana went down to 3-2 to Senegal on the 12 November 2005.

"Les Éléphants" (The Elephants), as they are known by the home fans, will be playing in the Nelson Mandela Challenge for a first time. They are currently ranked as the number one country in Africa and are 19th in the world on the Fifa World Rankings.

Bafana Bafana is in eighth place on the continent and 49th in the world.

Delighted

Robin Petersen, Chief Executive Officer of the South African Football Association (Safa), said: "We are really delighted to have managed to secure an opponent of the calibre of the Ivory Coast. They are number one on the continent, which is a clear indication that it will not be an easy day in the office.

"We are also honoured to be playing this match near the home of Nelson Mandela. As an Association, we believe this is a fitting tribute for all he has done for sport in general in this country."

The Challenge is played annually to raise money for the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund; Safa will donate a cheque of one-million-rand to the Fund.

"The honour of having the number one team in Africa, Ivory Coast, playing against our national soccer team for the 17th edition of Nelson Mandela Challenge in Port Elizabeth fits hand-in-glove with our 2010-2015 corporate strategy to extend the footprint of our models of child care in the continent," said Moipone Buda-Ramatlo, Acting CEO of the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund.

'Household names'

"With international household names like Didier Drogba touching our shores, our young ones have no better source of inspiration, other than from these players, to draw for the dreams that they have of being the stars of tomorrow.

"This sets the stage for Nelson Mandela Children's Fund and the South African Football Association to reposition the Nelson Mandela Challenge within the continental integration strategy as championed by our national government," added Buda-Ramatlo.

Bafana Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane will announce his squad to play the Ivory Coast on Thursday, 3 November.

Ivory Coast has already named a very strong 21-squad man that includes their captain, Chelsea striker Didier Drogba, his club mate Salomon Kalou, brothers Yaya and Kolo Toure of Manchester City, Gervinho of Arsenal, Emmanuel Eboue of Galatasaray in Turkey and Siaka Tiene of Paris Saint Germaine in France.

They are expected to arrive in South Africa on 10 November.

Tickets

Match tickets are on sale at Computicket outlets, Shoprite and Shoprite/Checkers store countrywide at a cost of R100 for the West Lower stand and R50 for all other areas.

Tickets will not be on sale at the stadium on match day and Safa has supporters to purchase their tickets well in advance.

History

The Challenge was first played in 1994 and has been contested annually, excepting in in 2001 when it had to be cancelled after Mexico withdrew at the last minute.

South Africa's record is a mixed one, with seven wins, seven losses and two draws. Bafana Bafana's last win came in 2009 when they defeated Norway in Rustenburg. A year earlier they had beaten Cameroon to lift the trophy.

Last year, South Africa lost one-nil to the United States of America at a packed Cape Town Stadium.

NELSON MANDELA CHALLENGE RESULTS

• 2010 vs USA, Cape Town, USA won 1-0
• 2009 vs Norway, Rustenburg, SA won 2-1
• 2008 vs Cameroon, Rustenburg, SA won 3-2
• 2007 vs USA, Johannesburg, USA won 2-1
• 2006 vs Egypt, London, Egypt won 1-0
• 2005 vs Senegal, Port Elizabeth, Senegal won 3-2
• 2004 vs Nigeria, Johannesburg, SA won 2-1
• 2003 vs Costa Rica, Potchefstroom, SA won 2-1
• 2002 vs Senegal, Johannesburg, Senegal won 4-1 (pen), 1-1
• 2000 vs France, Johannesburg, 0-0 draw
• 1999 vs Sweden, Pretoria, SA won 1-0
• 1998 vs Egypt, Johannesburg, SA won 2-1
• 1997 vs The Netherlands, Johannesburg, Netherlands won 2-0
• 1996 vs Brazil, Johannesburg, Brazil won 3-2
• 1995 vs Argentina, Johannesburg, 1-1 draw
• 1994 vs Zambia, Johannesburg, SA won 2-1

• SAinfo reporter

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South Africa's national football team, Bafana Bafana, have thrown their weight behind the national under-23 team in its bid to qualify for the 2012 London Olympic Games.

Head coach Pitso Mosimane and his assistant, Jairo Leal,have given Shakes Mashaba's team first option on Bafana Bafana players eligible to play in the under-23 squad in their preparations for the eight-nation qualifying tournament scheduled for Morocco in November/December.

South Africa has been drawn in the tournament's Group A with Egypt, Gabon and Ivory Coast. Group B comprises hosts Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal and Algeria.

The top three countries qualify automatically for the 2012 Olympics, while the fourth-placed team will go into a play-off against an Asian country for the other remaining ticket.

With Bafana Bafana scheduled to play in the Nelson Mandela Challenge friendly match next month, Mosimane will not select players that Mashaba wishes to use.

'We are offering our support'

"We would like to see the under-23 team qualify for the London Olympic Games and also do well there. Hence we are offering our support," Mosimane said in a statement.

"Once we have received the list of players Mashaba intends to use for his preparations, and in Morocco, we will not select those players.

"This is the cooperation that is needed between all the national teams, as we are working towards a common goal of seeing South Africa be among the greats in the world.

"We believe Mashaba has what it takes to qualify for the Olympics, and as a nation we need to rally behind him and give them all the support. We would also like to wish him and the team all the best in Morocco, and we are confident he will come back with positive results."

Appreciation

Mashaba has received the news with great appreciation. "This is a great gesture coming from the senior men's national team. We really appreciate all the help we can get," he said.

"We believe this move will help our course a great deal. The tournament is getting closer and we are humbled by the action of Pitso and his team."

SAinfo reporter

Brad Morgan

With qualification for the 2012 African Cup of Nations finals on the line, Bafana Bafana met Sierra Leone in perfect conditions at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit on Saturday evening. The showdown, however, ended in a less than perfect manner.

The teams shared their third goalless draw in four meetings, and with Egypt drubbing Niger 3-0 in Cairo it appeared that South Africa had qualified for the continental finals on goal difference, and they celebrated like they had qualified after the game.

Coach Pitso Mosimane, interviewed on the field after the match, didn't seem sure that his team had gone through; everyone else believed they had.

Somewhat criminally, it appears that no one in the Bafana Bafana coaching set up had read the terms of qualification.

Standings

The way things finished, after six matches South Africa, Niger, and Sierra Leone all had nine points from six matches. Bafana enjoyed the best goal difference at plus-two, the Leone Stars were all square on five goals scored and five conceded, while Niger were on minus-two.

However, the positions in the group were determined on head-to-head results between the three teams and Niger, despite having the worst goal difference of the three teams, and having lost three games to the one each lost by South Africa and Sierra Leone, advanced.

It's a system that led to a lot of confusion and controversy and it is possibly something that the Confederation of African Football (Caf) needs to re-examine. In most tournaments and leagues, positions are decided by goal difference when points are the same.

Coach Pitso Mosimane, having been assured that his team had made the finals, had mixed emotions after the game. "We played two different halves," he explained.

'I'm not happy with the result'

"I think we deserved to score. Sierra Leone is a strong team and they created pressure on us, but, really, I'm not happy with the result. I wanted a win."

Sierra Leone coach Lars-Olof Mattsson commented: "In the second half, I understood that they knew the result of the Egypt game, so I saw that they were sitting back a lot more, but we didn't create more than one or two chances, so that wasn't good enough."

His comment indicated that Mattsson, too, believed South Africa had qualified for Equatorial Guinea and Gabon 2012.

Man of the match Siyabonga Sangweni said: "I'm happy for my country and our nation, for coming in numbers and supporting us. I think our team spirit worked for us." Sadly, his happiness was later to turn into disappointment.

The match

With Steven Pienaar struggling with a groin problem, midfielder Siphiwe Tshabalala once again wore the captain's armband.

The early going was characteristic of two teams feeling each other out, although Bafana showed confidence on the ball. The Leone Stars, too, appeared comfortable and well-structured and immediately settled into the contest.

There was a scare for the home team in the tenth minute when Siboniso Gaxa was robbed of the ball in the penalty area as he tried to shepherd it over the line, but he responded with a hard tackle to reclaim possession.

From the start, it was clear that Bafana wanted to attack down the flanks, but Sierra Leone withstood the pressure with plenty of hustle in their defending.

Headed wide

In the 19th minute, though, South Africa forced a corner after foray down the left. Sierra Leone cleared, but Bafana won back possession and Siyabonga Sangweni headed wide from the right when supplied with a cross. By this time, most of the territory belonged to home side, although Sierra Leone looked composed and threatened to strike on the counter-attack.

Striker Katlego Mphela went down in the box seven minutes later, but there was never a serious consideration that a penalty should be awarded.

Although Sierra Leone, like South Africa, desperately needed a win, they chose to defend in numbers and deep, possibly banking on their hosts' desperation to score and hoping to catch them on the break. That said, they also hassled the South African defenders every time they came into possession.

Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane was feeling the pressure and was warned by the referee and the fourth official to calm down after he expressed his displeasure about a decision near the half-hour mark.

South Africa looked in control, but their final passes lacked precision, which undermined their good build-ups.

Narrow miss

Captain Siphiwe Tshabalala came close to unlocking the Sierra Leone defence in the 33rd minute when he rounded it on the right. However, his cross flashed across the goalmouth, but failed to find a South Africa foot to steer it into the net.

Gaxa then forced his way into the area, but his shot from a narrow angle was blocked behind for a corner kick.

A minute later, Sangweni powered a left-footer just over the crossbar from distance, raising a roar from the crowd.

With momentum moving in favour of the home side, and the players beginning to find some rhythm, Tshabalala tried a long range shot, but his effort was climbing from the moment he struck it and it passed harmlessly over the Sierra Leone goal.

Calm down

Andile Jali also tried his luck from range, but was wide right, leading to coach Mosimane, having recovered from his berating from the officials, gesturing to his players to calm down.

With half-time approaching, Sierra Leone's captain Ibrahim Kargbo conceded a penalty outside the area after bumping into Katlego Mphela. The striker took a crack at goal, but goalkeeper Christian Caulker dealt well with the ball, which bounced just in front of him.

The visitors took the game to South Africa right at the end of the half and forced a couple of corners, but were unable to make any impression on the Bafana defence.

At half-time, it was also goalless in Cairo, between group leaders Niger and Egypt.

Decent opportunity

Nine minutes into the second half, Mohamed Kamara was presented with a decent opportunity to give Sierra Leone the lead when he got onto the end of a corner kick. His header was way off the mark, however, passing well left of Itumeleng Khune's left-hand post.

Shortly after that, the news came through that Egypt had taken the lead against Niger. That meant that should the scores stay the same, Bafana Bafana would finish top of the group, or so they thought.

Just past the hour-mark, a ball broke for Tshabalala on the edge of the Leone Stars' box, but he fired a curling shot wide of the keeper's right-hand post.

South Africa might have been struggling to break down the West Africans' defence, but Egypt were having no troubles in Cairo where they had gone two goals ahead against Niger.

Superb save

In the 71st minute, Khune pulled off a superb save of a powerful long range rocket from Sheriff Suma to keep South Africa on level terms. It was an effort that sent shudders down the backs of South African supporters and it almost led to Bafana conceding their first goal at the Mbombela Stadium in their third appearance at the ground.

When Egypt netted a third goal against Niger with 12 minutes to go in that game, the home team felt earning qualification was back in their own hands.

In the 81st minute, South Africa were awarded another free kick just outside the Sierra Leone area when Oupa Manyisa, on as a substitute, was brought down as he spun away from a defender. Skipper Siphiwe Tshabalala took it on his shoulders to take the kick and it required a good save from Caulker to deny him.

With six minutes remaining, the crowd, sensing a successful qualifying campaign, began to break into song, singing "Shosholoza".

A cramping Itumeleng Khune led to a long break in play, but he remained on the field as the South African supporters saw their team draw ever nearer to clinching a place at in the continental finals in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon...but they were wrong.

Final whistle

Eventually the final whistle sounded and the South African coaching staff embraced as the Sierra Leone players, in an ugly scene, surrounded the referee and complained about his officiating.

The crowd cheered and the Bafana Bafana players celebrated finishing top of their group by taking a lap of honour around the field to thank their supporters, dancing as they made their happy way around the stadium.

But it was not to be. The unusual rules saw South Africa finish second and miss out on the Cup of Nations finals in a huge blow to football in the country that hosted the Fifa World Cup in 2010.

Nthambeleni Gabara

South African soccer fans have been promised that they will not experience another "black-out" when Bafana Bafana take on Sierra Leone in a crucial 2012 African Nations Cup qualifier at Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit on Saturday evening.

With the intervention of Sport Minister Fikile Mbalula, the SA Football Association (Safa) and SA Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) on Wednesday reached an agreement to broadcast the match live on SABC1 from 5pm.

The SABC has agreed to a fee of R3-million for this match, while Safa agreed to pay an amount of R1.2-million in broadcast sponsorship rights on behalf of their sponsors.

Bafana must win Saturday's match if they are to have a chance of qualifying for the 2012 African Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals taking place in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon in January next year.

However, they will also need Egypt to either win or draw their home match against Niger to guarantee Bafana a slot in the continental tournament.

Safa communications manager Morio Sanyane said that only 14 000 tickets were left for Saturday's match in Mbombela, adding that Bafana's match would be played simultaneously with that of Egypt and Niger.

'Football is a national asset'

Mbalula's intervention came after the Safa and the SABC were unable to agree on the broadcast rights for Bafana matches.

"It is in the public interest to broadcast matches of the national team and we are delighted about this major breakthrough," he said. "Football is a national asset, and we need to ensure that the whole nation can participate in the exciting journey of our national team as they seek to qualify for the 2012 Afcon and beyond."

Mbalula also advised Safa and the SABC to move swiftly to a comprehensive long-term agreement that would eliminate any uncertainty in the future.

Speaking to reporters afterwards, Safa president Kirsten Nematandani said: "We are delighted that this important match will be shown live on SABC and we wish to thank the minister for his constructive intervention to resolve the matter."

According to Nematandani, their next step with the SABC would be to engage French company SportFive, who were awarded the broadcast rights for all Confederation of African Football (CAF) and Fifa away matches, to secure a deal to broadcast all Bafana away matches.

He said that Safa and the SABC had agreed that the terrestrial broadcast rights for all CAF and Fifa qualifying home matches of Bafana were the sole property of Safa and that the SABC had to purchase these rights from Safa.

The chairman of the SABC board, Ben Ngubane, said the SABC had asked Safa "to sit down with us to resolve any outstanding issues so that we can present a common position to SportFive going forward."

Source: BuaNews

Bafana Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane has announced his 23-man squad for South Africa's final, crucial 2012 African Nations Cup qualifier against Sierra Leone.

Bafana Bafana led Group G from the start of qualifying until their last outing, which they lost 2-1 in Niger. The standings, however, remain very tight.

Niger tops the group on nine points, while South Africa and Sierra Leone have eight each, with South Africa in second place on goal difference. Three-time defending African champions Egypt have already been eliminated.

Apart from the hosts, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon, all the group winners, and the runner-up in Group K, only the top two runners-up from the remaining groups will qualify for the finals. That puts South Africa in position to grab a place, but a loss would do them in.

The game takes place at Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit on Saturday, 8 October. Kick-off is at 17:00

Five ruled out, Pienaar in question

Five players - Kagisho Dikgacoi, Tlou Segolela, Teko Modise, Tespo Masilela, and Davide Somma - have been ruled out through injury, while captain Steven Pienaar's fitness is in question.

Countering the loss of those players, midfielder Reneilwe Letsholonyane of Kaizer Chiefs is back in action, along with Mamelodi Sundowns' striker Katlego Mphela and Mphela's club team-mates midfielder Lebohang Mokoena and defender Punch Masinamela.

The one newcomer in the squad is 23-year-old Gotzepe SK striker Bradley Grobler, who previously plyed his trade for Platinum Stars.

Should Pienaar be unfit, Siphiwe Tshabalala would once again captain the team.

'What we can control is a win'

"This is a very tough match for us because qualifying is no longer in our hands, but what we can control is a win against Sierra Leone," Mosimane said in Johannesburg on Tuesday.

"The plan was to get nine points from our three home matches and three from the away clashes, and it was working well until the last match against Niger where we got nothing.

"This was a difficult group, even though we started very well, and you will notice that none of the four teams managed to get maximum points away. It was a group where home matches were crucial for survival."

Mosimane, however, remained confident that Bafana Bafana will advance to the continental finals.

Attacking football

"We need to play attacking football like we always do when we are at home," he said. "If we do what we have been doing in the last year we should get maximum points, even though in this case we still depend on others to come through for us.

"This is a win-at-all-costs encounter, we have to put our bodies on the line, and I believe we have a team that will deliver.

"We believe, trust and know we can beat Sierra Leone at home and we are committed to doing that," he said.

Call for support

Mosimane also called on fans to come out in their numbers to support the national team.

The squad will train at the Royal Marang Sports Complex in Rustenburg from Thursday, 29 September until Thursday, 6 October. That will be followed by two training sessions in Nelspruit before the match on 8 October.

SAinfo reporter

Brad Morgan

Bafana Bafana conceded their first goals in 2012 African Nations Cup qualifying, as well as their lead at the top of Group G, in going down 2-1 to Niger in Niamey on Sunday.

With one match to play, Niger tops the group on nine points, thanks to three wins at home. However, their two defeats in away matches gives Bafana hope that they will not add more points to their tally, although Niger's final away game will be against a young Egyptian team made up mostly of under-23 players.

South Africa are just one point behind Niger, but occupy second place on goal difference only over Sierra Leone. The teams meet in South Africa on 7 October.

Even if Bafana fail to finish top of their group, they should still be in the running to qualify for Gabon and Equatorial Guinea 2012 as one of the two best-placed second-place teams. However, that is clearly not the path that coach Pitso Mosimane and his charges would wish to take to the continental finals.

Poor first half performance

Sunday's match at the General Setdi Kountche Stadium was played in very hot conditions on a poor pitch. South Africa did their cause no justice by turning in an untidy first half performance, and their defence was surprisingly porous.

Bafana's efforts were not helped by some questionable refereeing decisions - so often a problem in African competition - which left the coaching staff fuming, especially after a clear-cut penalty decision late in the game was not awarded by the referee.

With Katlego Mphela failing to pass a late fitness test, coach Pitso Mosimane opted to use Bernard Parker and Thulani Serero up front, while Teko Modise made his return to the national team, starting on the right side of midfield.

Buoyed by the fanatical support of the home fans, Niger started the contest confidently and took the game to South Africa. Issoufou Alhassane came close to giving "the Mena" an early lead when he struck a free-kick just over the crossbar.

Hit the post

Bafana then had a wonderful opportunity to take the lead when Andile Jali's pass gave Modise plenty of time to line up a shot, but the midfielder's strike hit the inside of the post and Serero's effort on the rebound was knocked behind for a corner.

Itumeleng Khune needed to make a superb stop to deny Ouwa Maazou a goal after the striker had sprung South Africa's offside trap, but from the resulting corner Niger took the lead when Dankwa E Kofi was allowed an easy header to beat the South African goalkeeper.

After turning at one-nil down, Bafana upped their efforts in the second half. Maazou again came close to extending Niger's lead, but Morgan Gould robbed him with a last-gasp interception.

Lead doubled

It didn't take long for Niger to double their lead through Maazou, however. He netted a second headed goal to raise the roar of a delighted home crowd.

As the half progressed, so Bafana began to find some measure of control. They were rewarded for that when Andile Jali pulled a goal back with a good finish past Daouda Kassali in the Niger goal.

Lifted by the goal, South Africa upped the pressure. Daylon Claasen made ground into the penalty area after turning his marker, but when he was hacked down from behind the referee, inexplicably, showed Claasen a yellow card for diving instead of pointing to the spot, much to the disgust of the Bafana coaching staff, who were incensed by the decision.

By this time Niger were trying to hold on for the win and resorted to time-wasting, which earned goalkeeper Kassali, after numerous theatrical stoppages, a yellow card. It was too little too late from Bafana, however, as they lost their unbeaten record in the qualifiers.

Preparations for Bafana Bafana's vital African Nations Cup qualifier against Niger, to be played at the General Seyni Kountche Stadium in Niamey on Sunday, are going well, with a full squad of 24 players arriving on time for a camp in Rustenburg.

Twenty-three players reported for duty on Sunday, while Spain-based Tsepo Masilela arrived on Monday afternoon to bring the full squad to 24 players. Bongani Khumalo of Tottenham Hotspur and Thulani Serero of Ajax Amsterdam were the first overseas-based players in camp on Sunday.

Bafana Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane commented: "We have a very important match ahead of us, and seeing that we have all our players in the first training sessions augurs well for our preparations. In this way we are able to prepare thoroughly without any delays."

He elaborated: "Training has to be specific, but the key is in not overloading them with work and at the same time not taking things too easy. Also, you will notice that we had to change our times slightly to accommodate the heat that we will be facing in Niamey. Our Tuesday and Thursday training sessions will be around the time of the match to get accustomed to the hot conditions in Niger."

No goals conceded

Bafana have not conceded a single goal in four Afcon qualifiers thus far, but both their away matches have ended in goalless draws - against Sierra Leone in Freetown and Egypt in Cairo.

Mosimane says the team's aim in the contest in Niger is a win, not a draw. "We want to win away, no doubt about that, as this will give confidence to the team and the whole nation. It will also send a strong message to all our opponents that we have what it takes. But then again we need to play smart because winning away in this case will be key, as it will help us settle our qualification earlier.

"It won't be an easy match though," he reckoned, "and I believe it will be emotional in that Niger wants to win badly because we are the only obstacle in the group as we are ahead of them. That is why I have been saying that we will need soldiers for this clash and we don't want to leave it to the last match.

'I think we can get six points'

"This is a big game for us, make no mistake about that, but I feel we have what it takes to return from Niamey top of the group. In fact, I think we can get six points out of the remaining two matches."

Siphiwe Tshabalala will captain the side for a third time in the absence of the injured Steven Pienaar. "This is a massive game for us," he said, "and we know what we need to do in Niger.

"We have been top of our group since the start of the qualifiers and we believe we will bring back a positive result from Niamey. It will not be easy, but we are well aware that victory will ensure that we qualify for the tournament next year, so we have enough motivation to give it our all in this match.

"We are mentally prepared for the task ahead and we have a good group of players who I believe are capable of doing well away."

There are some injury concerns for Mosimane, with the fitness of Teko Modise, Moeneeb Josephs, Oupa Manyisa and Tlou Segolela all questionable. Modise has been cleared and will be under supervision from the medical team, while the trio of Josephs, Manyisa and Segolela have been sent for an MRI scan for further assessments.

SAinfo reporter