Who would have believed that in recent years the Bafana Bafana of South
Africa will be overly confident of trumping Nigeria in their own ground,
not content at just containing the Super Eagles.
That has been the ringtone for the game in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
The Super Eagles will host South Africa for the last match in the
qualifying series for the 2015 African Nations Cup qualifiers, looking
for a win to progress to the tournament next.
This time around, it is not the Super Eagles who are blaring the drums
of arrogance, rather it is their visitors who are enthusiastically
singing to rooftops for all to hear.
Nigeria has always rolled over South Africa that it was become a mockery of sort when both teams clashed.
The dominance is alarming that even the Bayana Bayana lines up to be
beaten by the Super Falcons in women's football. Although South Africa
got one over Nigeria at the African Women's Championship in 2012, it was
just one in many losses.
When it comes to football, at all categories, the general notion is that South Africa does not hold a candle to Nigeria.
Just as Nigeria does not come anywhere close to South Africa in Rugby and Cricket.
However, the tide seems to have changed and coach Ephraim Shakes Mashaba has restored some pride in the Bafana Bafana.
Who would blame them if they come to Nigeria boasting of beating the Super Eagles; something that seldom happened in the past.
They come to Uyo having already qualified for the Nations Cup tournament
in Equatorial Guinea. Nigeria on its part needs the game more, a win by
all means secures passage to the Nations Cup.
Regardless of what the outcome of the game would be, South Africa have
already secured top spot, Nigeria just needs to beat them to avoid Congo
usurping second position if they beat Sudan.
Really, it was not written in the stars that South Africa would have
topped this group with even a game to spare, Nigeria was the
overwhelming favourites to emerge tops.
So if they decide to gloat about what they can do to Nigeria, then is
because their group standings acts like a backbone to such utterances.
"Its more than three points when we go to Nigeria, it’s a lot of things
that we are going to be playing for, it’s going to be a tough game,”
Mashaba said.
“Nigerians don’t want to lose against South Africa. That alone will make
this match a tough one and we also have the assignment to break the
hoodoo that we always lose when we play against them,” Mashaba told
journalists after the team’s final training session in Pimville, Soweto
on Monday.
“We have to go out there positive and believe we will do well. We are
defending well but there are still some things we need to do, especially
in the middle of the park where we are not picking opponents tight and
that will cause us problems especially against a team like Nigeria which
is very good in that area,” he added.
Noteworthy, South Africa won all their away matches so far in the
qualifiers, away from home, so it is understandable if they are brewing
and exuding confidence in their own ability to stun Nigeria.
Somehow, that trepidation has caught up with the Super Eagles,and the talk in town is on the need not to be complacent.
In the past,it was not so, the talk would have been on how many goals to slot in past the Bafana Bafana.
It seems a tough ask to dare to dream about that now, the focus for the
Super Eagles is primarily on three points, and to burst the bubble of
South Africa.
Players to watch:
*Ikechukwu Uche(Nigeria)
*Thulani Seroro (South Africa)
Tactical battle
*Stephen Keshi vs Shakes Mashaba
Venue:
*Uyo Stadium(Nesting of Champions)
Match Referee:
* Rajindraparsad Seechurn (Mauritius)
Match Time:
6pm (Nigerian time)
Head to Head meeting:
Both countries have met 10 times
Games won: 7 (Nigeria)
Games drawn: 2
Games lost: 1 (South Africa)
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