Shakes Mashaba is turning over a new leaf. As Bafana Bafana begin their road to the 2018 World Cup in Russia with an away qualifier against Burkina Faso in Ouagadougou this coming Saturday, the national team coach will know that his biggest critics will be keeping a close watch on proceedings.
They have argued that if Mashaba could not deliver on his mandate to guide Bafana to next year’s Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in Gabon, a tournament in which there are only 16 participants, then booking a ticket to the World Cup as one of five countries representing the continent is a near impossible mission.
“I have full confidence in my ability. Much has been said about my future, but I am still the coach,” said Mashaba last week when he named his 25-man squad to do battle in Ouagadougou.
Indeed, he was reportedly on the ropes as he wrapped up an unsuccessful Afcon qualification phase with a lifeless 1-1 draw against lowly Mauritania early last month.
Safa, however, did not pull the trigger and now Mashaba faces a mammoth task proving he can take Bafana to their fourth World Cup.Burkina Faso, Senegal and Cape Verde stand in the way.
There are no second chances as Bafana have to be outright group winners to book their ticket to Russia.
Mashaba himself admitted that the poor planning during the Afcon qualifiers became the national team’s undoing.
In a subtle way of showing the gathered journalists during the squad announcement two Fridays ago that a lot of homework had gone into the trip to Ouagadougou, a full list detailing the conditions there and logistics was provided.
But the real work will be on the pitch.
Group D is no “group of death” but the sides that will take on Bafana are no minnows and their history suggests they have every right to believe they, too, can qualify for the World Cup as outright winners.
BURKINA FASO
While playing personnel has changed over the years like many national teams as a different group emerge over generations, they are not a closed book. The head-to-head statistics give Bafana the edge with seven matches played and four victories registered.
The Stallions can boast of a single win and holding SA to two draws, however, they are the ones marching on to the Afcon in January, while Bafana are still licking their wounds from a disastrous campaign. And they can only grow in confidence by rubbing shoulders with the best on the continent, making the return leg against Bafana exactly a year from now a tough showdown.
It’s also a tournament they narrowly missed out on over three years ago, coincidentally held in SA, when they finished as runners-up to Nigeria, who were coached by the late Stephen Keshi.
Coach: Paulo Duarte. World ranking: 67th (5 below Bafana)
Key players: Jonathan Pitroipa, Bertrand Traore, Charles Kabore
SENEGAL
With all due respect to Bafana, they are not favourites to win the group – Senegal are. They seem to be finding their feet again as one of the best national teams in Africa following a hibernation of some sort shortly after their golden generation, one which reached the 2002 World Cup and went as far as the quarter-finals, had come to the end of the road.
Mashaba will be more than familiar with this side having come across them three times, beating them once and drawing the other two matches.
The most recent meeting between the two sides was two years ago at the Afcon in Equatorial Guinea in the group stages as they shared the spoils (1-1).
Overall, Senegal and Bafana have faced off seven times, with the Lions of Teranga winning twice.
Coach: Aliou Cisse. World ranking: 39th (23 above Bafana)
Key players: Idrissa Gueye, Cheikhou Kouyate, Mohammed Diame, Saido Mane
CAPE VERDE
Not a side to be underestimated given their rise in continental football over the last four years or so, that culminated in them reaching the quarter-finals of the 2013 Afcon in South Africa.
The Blue Sharks have, however, regressed somewhat and failed to qualify for next year’s competition.
It would explain their Football Association’s nostalgia by hiring Lucio Antunes, the man responsible for having put them on the map as a side to fear before quitting not long after that impressive Afcon feat three years ago.
Bafana have taken on Cape Verde on three occasions and it’s comforting to know that they have never lost against them, winning twice and drawing their most recent encounter in the opening round of that 2013 Afcon tournament.
Coach: Lucio Antunes. World Ranking: 72nd (10 places below Bafana)
Key players: Fernando Varela, Heldon Ramos, Babanco@superjourno