The last time Bafana Bafana played at Mbombela Stadium, they were surprisingly victorious – Shakes Mashaba’s hastily-organised squad of virtual unknowns getting the better of the Ivory Coast prior to the Africa Cup of Nations.
That the two sides went on to have contrasting fortunes at the biennial, continental soccer showpiece is by now common knowledge – the South Africans returning home winless after three group matches while the Elephants captured the title for the first time since 1982.
Bafana are back at the Mpuma-langa arena tomorrow for yet another friendly against another African giant in the form of Nigeria for a friendly international they’d dearly love to win to erase the memory of that poor Afcon campaign.
And, unlike back in November when a squad teeming with Premiership bench-warmers and a few junior internationals following the elite clubs’ refusal to release their players given the match was not on an international date, Bafana are at full strength for this tie.
Save for Dean Furman who has been excused so he can be with his promotion-hopeful English Championship club Doncaster Rovers and the injured Anele Ngcongca of Racing Genk in Belgium, Mashaba can start with the majority of the team that did duty in Equatorial Guinea at the beginning of the year.
And he probably should do so given that they are facing a Super Eagles outfit likely to be seething and eager to put one over their hosts after Bafana contributed to their failing to qualify for the premier African tournament.
It was because of their failure to beat Bafana, especially in the 2-2 drawn second round match in Uyo, that Stephen Keshi’s Nigeria were not among the 16 nations that descended on Spanish-speaking Equatorial Guinea to defend the title they had won in South Africa two years ago.
That result in particular is sure to be rankling among the typically proud Nigerians who enjoy nothing more than put one over the South Africans they love to hate.
They come into the match still smarting from a shock midweek 1-0 defeat at home to lowly Uganda and you have a Nigerian side likely to be ready to break a limb for victory.
In any case, most of the players are essentially on “trial” as the west Africans begin a rebuilding process.
Not that Bafana will be lacking in motivation, Mashaba’s men still disappointed at having failed to finally earn South Africa their first competitive victory over the ol’ enemy despite many contending that Nigeria were at the weakest they’ve ever been against the country that controversially replaced them as continental champions back in 1996.
Nigerians still contend that Bafana would not have been crowned champions on home soil had the Super Eagles not been banned – due to their government’s human riots violation which saw them kill renowned writer Ken Saro-wiwa – from coming over to defend the title they won in 1992.
Their squad has gone on to back them up with their continued ability to avoid defeat to Bafana in competitive matches, South Africa’s only victory over Nigeria having come in a friendly. Another win tomorrow might go a long way towards shutting up the Nigerians a bit, though. - Saturday Star