Niger v South Africa – Saturday 3rd September – Niamey (16:30)
Niger v South Africa
South Africa’s mission to qualify for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations finals continues this weekend when they face Niger away in their penultimate Group G match. Bafana Bafana are on the verge of securing a berth in the continental finals in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea early next year, but this could prove to be their toughest match of the qualifying tournament.
Niger lies 2nd in the group with 6 points from 4 matches. They are just two points adrift of Bafana, and they will certainly be eyeing a victory which would send them top and put them within touching distance of a first ever qualification for the Nations Cup finals. This will be their most important match as their last group match will be against an Egyptian team whom they should beat after Egypt announced that they will be fielding their U-23 team in the last two qualifying matches as they have little hope of qualifying for the AFCON with 2 points from their 4 matches. Having contested two international friendlies in the past month, Niger are showing that they will make a bold bid to oust Bafana Bafana from their perch. In their first warm-up match, Niger surprised Togo in Niamey when they came from behind after being 3-1 down in the first half, to score twice in the second half and force a draw. Two weeks ago they travelled to Liberia where they frustrated their hosts, the Lone Stars, to a goalless draw. Coach Pitso Mosimane can expect a mixed bag of tricks when he takes Bafana to what is described by the United Nations as ‘the most inhospitable country’ in Africa. They showed against Togo why for the past two years they have been almost unbeatable at home.
Having secured away draws in Freetown and Cairo in qualifying so far, Pitso Mosimane’s men head to Niger knowing that they will face fierce heat and a hostile crowd – factors which helped Niger record home wins over Egypt and Sierra Leone. Bafana are coming off an impressive 3-0 win which saw Katlego Mphela get a brace and Captain Siphiwe Tshabalala also getting on the scoresheet. Pitso Mosimane has started a new era for the national team and they are now unbeaten in the last five matches and have lost just one of nine (1 nil against USA last November) since Mosimane took over from Brazilian Carlos Alberto Parreira after last year’s World Cup. Mosimane will be without four key players due to injury – regular Captain Steven Pienaar, Reneilwe Letsholonyane and English-based duo Kagisho Dikgacoi and Davide Somma – but has still been able to select an experienced squad that features just one uncapped player in Mamelodi Sundowns’ Musa Nyatama. PSL Player of the season Thulani Serero will be looking to impress in Bafana colours and will be looked upon to provide the attacking spark from the midfield.
Bafana have been sublime in recent matches, pushing the ball well and dominating possession. They were comfortable 2 nil winners in the first round match and are tipped to win away here.
