Bafana face stern test

Bafana face stern test

The best from South Africa might enjoy home advantage when they face Morocco on Saturday in a Africa Cup of Nations qualifier, but whether they are good enough to be a banker bet in a TAB Soccer 10 pool expected to reach R2-million, remains to be seen.

By Mark Gleeson

Qualifiers for the next continental showpieces are in full swing over the weekend and through Monday to Tuesday, but the campaigns in Africa and Europe sit at different junctures.

The penultimate round of Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in the next handful of days will add more names to the list of finalists for the tournament in the Ivory Coast in January. Seven countries have already booked their berths and the numbers will go to double figures by the time the last of this fifth round of qualifiers is completed on Tuesday.

But the Euro-2024 qualifiers only kicked off in March and are still a long way off reaching the halfway stage, although there will be more clarity on the contenders by the time Tuesday night’s last games are concluded.

South Africa and Morocco are among the seven teams who are already booked for the Cup of Nations finals and their clash at Soccer City tomorrow is of academic interest only.

It will, however, be viewed as important by both camps because a positive result will boost morale and set out their stall ahead of the tournament.

Morocco play a first competitive game since their heroics at the World Cup last December where they became the first African and Arab country to reach the semi-finals.

Since then, they have had a friendly win over Brazil and draws with Peru and the Cape Verde Islands. But they have arrived in Johannesburg with a powerful squad and they will be tough to beat.

Bafana’s home advantage is mainly the high altitude and the effect the thin air has on the lungs. Hopefully a tired Morocco, with players already at the end of a long season, will feel its effects and allow the home side to secure victory.

Ghana and Nigeria are among the continent’s heavyweights expected to add their names this weekend to list of Cup of Nations finalists.

In the Euro-2024 qualifiers, surprises are usually few and far between, but Ireland will find it tough in Greece tonight and Wales might struggle at home to Armenia.

Tomorrow Scotland, who beat Spain in March, could upset Erling Haaland and his Norway colleagues.

In Major League Soccer, former Bafana fullback Bradley Carnell continues to keep his St Louis City side at the top of the Western Conference standings.

It is a first year of competition for the expanded franchises and with a touch of Mzansi style thy are making magic.