‘This is something very hard to accept,’ said the Bafana head coach.
Hugo Broos admitted it would be ‘very difficult’ for Bafana to qualify for the 2026 Fifa World Cup finals after they drew with Zimbabwe in a Group C qualifier at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Friday.
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The goalless stalemate leaves Bafana two points behind group leaders Benin with just one game left to play. Bafana will still win the group and qualify if they can beat Rwanda at Mbombela Stadium on Tuesday and if Nigeria beat Benin in Uyo on the same day.
Nigeria to save Bafana?
In Bafana’s favour is that Nigeria will have to go all out to beat Benin. The Super Eagles’ 2-1 win over Lesotho on Friday means that if Bafana fail to beat Rwanda, Nigeria can qualify with a victory over Benin.
“This is something very hard to accept. It is not totally lost, but it is very difficult now (to qualify),” Broos told SABC Sport after Friday’s match.
Bafana did hit the woodwork twice, while Lyle Foster saw a fantastic chance cleared off the line, and Broos bemoaned luck not going his side’s way.
“I think we tried everything, we didn’t have luck. We had one ball cleared off the line, and one hit the post (in the second half),” added Broos.
“You also need a bit of luck. We tried … against a very motivated Zimbabwe team.”
Benin’s late goal in a 1-0 win away to Rwanda only rubbed salt in Bafana’s wounds.
“This is not good also, that we don’t have that result in our favour. But what can I say, I can’t blame my team. I can’t be angry I am just very disappointed that we couldn’t score the goal we needed,” said Broos.
If Bafana can beat Rwanda on Tuesday and Nigeria and Benin draw, the group winner is likely to be decided on goal difference.
Benin’s goal difference is currently at +5 with Bafana at +3. So a 3-0 win over Rwanda would definitely see Broos’ side through if Benin and Nigeria draw.
‘We have to go for victory’
Bafana, in other words, might as well go for broke on Tuesday.
“We have to go for victory against Rwanda and see what happens,” added Broos.
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What was highlighted by Friday’s results was Bafana’s horrendous error in fielding Teboho Mokoena against Lesotho in March when he was supposed to be suspended. That resulted in Fifa awarding a 3-0 win to Lesotho in a game Bafana originally won 2-0.
Even if Bafana do somehow find a way on Tuesday, one hopes there is some serious introspection at the South African Football Association over how such a blunder could have been made.