JOHANNESBURG: Anything less than victory against debutants Cape Verde in today’s 2013 Africa Cup of Nations curtain-raiser could spell potential disaster for under-fire hosts South Africa.
With 90,000 partisan vuvuzela-blowing fans cramming into Soweto’s magnificent Soccer City, the home nation is out to take a giant step toward the knockout stages in a group also featuring former winners Morocco, and Angola.
Bafana Bafana’s build-up has hardly been the stuff of potential champions but they will be counting on huge home support to help lift them as it did when they won their only previous Nations Cup in 1996.
The momentum built by an opening success would prove invaluable — defeat or a lackluster draw could knock the stuffing out of Gordon Igesund’s side.
Since going all the way 17 years ago, South Africa’s fate in the continental showpiece has plummeted — they haven’t won a match since 2004 and failed to qualify for last year’s competition in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon in farcical circumstances.
South African players, coaches and officials did not understand the widely-used head-to-head rule and played for a draw at home to Sierra Leone, believing a point would suffice.
Bafana players danced and sang their way around the stadium, convinced they had succeeded, only to discover later that minnows Niger had pipped them at the post.
The time has come so for the 2010 World Cup hosts to put some much needed pride back into the national game.
“With a little bit of luck and if we start scoring goals, I think we can go all the way,” Igesund, who won the South African Premiership with a record four clubs, said on Thursday.
“Hopefully, things go well for us and we get a bit of a roll going, especially with the support we are going to get behind us, 90,000 people in the stadium.
“It’s not an easy task. We’ve got to respect the teams around us. There are some very good teams here, but I think we’re very capable.” South Africa’s players have shown sterling commitment to the cause by forgoing any cash bonuses until the knockout stages.
“The players will accept bonuses only if they get to the quarter-finals and again if they reach the final. There is no money in the first round nor the semi-finals,” the coach stressed.
“This shows a commitment to do well,” added Igesund, whose squad have been under media and public fire after a lackluster build-up that finished with a drab 0-0 draw against Algeria in Soweto last weekend.
Not as though it puts too much pressure on them, but they have been tipped to do well by South African President Jacob Zuma.
“I certify that the team is ready,” the head of state said during a visit to a training session this week.
“I am more confident this time, more than any other times,” he added.
Igesund, meanwhile, admitted he had never seen Cape Verde play — if he had he would have found a team brimming with confidence after their shock defeat of Cameroon in the qualifiers.
If South Africa think Cape Verde will roll over like startled rabbits caught in the Cup spotlight they should just listen to Ryan Mendes.
“It’s our first time going to the Nations Cup, so there’s no pressure on us,” said the Lille striker.
“We’re lucky to be playing the opening game of this Nations Cup — for us that’s the ultimate!” he added.
“Aside from that, it’s true we want to achieve something because we don’t want to end up being ridiculed.”
South Africa needs to impress in Cape Verde opener
