Cape Town - Bafana Bafana will soon kick off their campaign to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia - and, like it or not, it seems we’ll have to accept that Shakes Mashaba will still be in charge.
Despite Bafana failing to get beyond the group stages at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea and not even qualifying for the 2017 staging of the prestigious continental event in Gabon, Mashaba’s underwhelming tenure at the helm of the South African national football side is to continue - for now. For how long? Well, that ball is in Safa’s court.
In what is a really tough World Cup qualifying group - Burkina Faso, Senegal and Cape Verde - Mashaba (pictured) had better ensure that he prepares and selects carefully. In both areas, he has been found wanting. With only the group winner qualifying for Russia 2018, there is no room for error for Bafana, and Mashaba.
The opening game in Bafana’s qualifying programme is scheduled for October 8 and it’s a tricky and demanding fixture indeed. The South Africans travel to Ouagadougou to take on Burkina Faso, where nothing less than a positive start will do. This is the type of qualifying group where, if you get on the back foot, it’s very tough to get back on terms.
BAFANA BAFANA 2018 WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS
2016
Saturday, October 8: Burkina Faso v South Africa (Stade du 4 Aout, Ouagadougou, 8pm SA time)
Saturday, November 12: South Africa v Senegal
2017
September 1/2: Cape Verde v South Africa
September 5: South Africa v Cape Verde
October 7: South Africa v Burkina Faso
November 10/12: Senegal v South Africa
Cape Argus