Bafana miss out on Germany 2006
Brad Morgan
5 September 2005
Bafana Bafana's World Cup 2006 dream lies in tatters after they suffered a disappointing 3-1 defeat to Burkina Faso on Saturday. With Ghana beating Uganda 2-0 on Sunday, coach Stuart Baxter's charges can no longer catch the Blacks Stars at the top of their group. South Africa will not be in Germany in 2006.
To add insult to injury, Bafana are no longer even sure of their place at the 2006 African Cup of Nations in Egypt. They need to finish in the top three of the group, and that position is no longer assured.
Burkinabe dominant
Burkina Faso, second from bottom in the group, were comfortably the better team on Saturday evening, running up a two-nil lead at the break, and three-nil early in the second half. A goal 14 minutes from time by Sibusiso Zuma was scant consolation for South Africa.
It took the Burkinabe 32 minutes to take the lead, but they even before then they had come close to opening the
scoring on three occasions.
France-based striker Abdoulaya Cisse gave the home side the advantage when he side-footed a cross from Dieudonne Minoungou, on the left, through a congested goalmouth and past Hans Vonk into the net. No one had picked up Cisse at the near post.
Just six minutes later, Yava Kebe chipped a beautifully taken second for the Stallions from 20 metres out, leaving Vonk without a hope of stopping his superbly executed shot. Again, the South African defenders were to blame, missing trapping a ball that let Kebe loose for a run on goal.
Out for the count
Two minutes into the second period, Bafana Bafana were out for the count after Cisse slotted his second goal of the contest from the penalty spot, blasting it past SA goalkeeper Vonk.
Mbulelo "Old John" Mabizela had been penalised for fouling the striker by holding onto his shirt in the area as he ran onto a through ball. Cisse made full use of the opportunity
offered to him, knocking the ball to Vonk's left.
Coach Baxter replaced Thabiso Rammile, Siyabonga Nomvete and an injured Nasief Morris with Ricardo Katza, Sibusiso Zuma, and Lucky Lekgwathi, which helped Bafana improve their performance.
Late goal
Midfielder Steven Pienaar got off a number of shots on goal, but none with enough venom to trouble Burkina Faso goalkeeper Abdoulaye Soulama.
With 74 minutes played, substitute Zuma finally found a way to beat him, thanks to Pienaar, who provided a nice cross from the right that required only a tap-in for the goal.
After the game, Baxter admitted that some of his side had not been able to lift their game when it mattered most.
The South African side will have little time to dwell on what might have been, and on their disappointment at missing out on the World Cup. They're off to Germany to take on the 2006 hosts in Bremen in a friendly on Wednesday night.
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