Whatever English-speaking troubles Joel Santana may have, in any language the Bafana coach is fast running out of excuses.
In the wake of Tuesday night's 1-0 defeat to Guinea at Atteridgeville's Super Stadium, after Bafana failed to find the net for the second time in four days, and the fourth time in five matches, the Brazilian, through his interpreter, again veered to the side of the ridiculously optimistic.
"There are two ways to look at this game. You can look at the performance or the result. The result was not good, but we played a good game.
"In many of our past games we have created a lot of chances, we have just not been able to finish. Some day it is going to turn around.
"The plan has always been to put together a team for (World Cup) 2010 and that is what we are doing."
Ah, World Cup 2010. It was a cliff-face that Carlos Alberto Parreira clung to as well when results were not going his way.
The problem is that Santana, a little like Parreira, is starting to sound increasingly deluded. Where is this transformation from current chumps to world-beaters in 2010 going to come from?
Already, Angola 2010 has disappeared over the horizon. Bafana were not "good" on Tuesday. Santana's second-string side battled to break down a Guinea team that lost their way with seven second-half substitutions.
At least captain Sibusiso Zuma spoke some sense.
"I am not going to say it was a good game," he said afterwards, in stark contrast to his coach. Zuma admitted the team were also surprised by how few supporters - about 2000 - turned up to watch.
"We were talking about it before kick-off," said Zuma. "We said we hoped they were still coming!"
A few more hundred did trickle in as the game progressed, but they can hardly have been impressed by what they witnessed, especially in the first half.
Matthew Booth, Bafana's best player on the day, was a little unlucky early on, when he steered home Innocent Mdledle's cross, only for a marginal offside to rule out the goal.
Soon after, Guinea struck, Minka Yady Camara's screamer flying past Moeneeb Josephs and into the top corner of the net.
Santana's team selection was bizarre. He clearly wanted to give the rest of his squad a chance, making 11 changes from the Nigeria game.
However, playing Surprise Moriri out of position on the wing didn't bear fruit, while Lebohang Mothibantwa looked seriously off the pace in central midfield, and Lefa Tsutsulupa only woke up very late in the piece.
Guinea, who still have an excellent chance of making it to Angola, also started with a second-string side, leaving the likes of Pascale Feindounou on the bench. But in the first half at least, they knocked the ball around with zip and verve.
Santana had to shuffle his pack at the break, and the arrival of Teko Modise and Daine Klate sparked Bafana's attack into some sort of action.
Still, as Santana did admit, Bafana's final ball too often lacked quality, and Guinea goalkeeper Youssour Toure was not overly troubled.
If Santana could complain of bad luck, it came in the final minute, when Daine Klate's strike was erroneously ruled offside.
Zuma, meanwhile, joined his coach in predicting that Bafana could get it together by 2010.
"We have the players, we have the talent, you saw Teko in the second half, he changed the game," said the Sundowns striker. "I am sure come 2010 the team is going to be ready."
Most, however, would have to disagree with both the captain and his coach.
South Africa (4-4-1-1): Josephs; Allie (Gaxa 46), Booth, Fransman, Mdledle (Evans 78); Mbuyane (Klate 46), Mothibantwa (Modise 46), Davids, Moriri (Parker 87); Tsutsulupa (Mahlatsi 78); Zuma
Guinea (4-3-3): Toure Y; Camara M (Cisse 64), Balde D, Camara Al (Diallo 58), Sacko (Bah 58); Camara MY, Balde A (Feindounou 61), Camara AB; Camara MB (Bangoura IB), Kaba (Mansare 69), Toure L (Bangoura IS 61).