MADRID, Spain- As Bafana Bafana prepare to take on Burkina Faso in what is a must-win 2018 World Cup qualifier, Safa president Danny Jordaan said he expects nothing but an improved showing from SA.
Speaking in Madrid where he brought a delegation of Safa provincial delegates on a learning expedition with La Liga and their clubs, Jordaan believes that Group D is still wide open and that Bafana should put themselves in contention by beating Burkina Faso.
And to do that, Stuart Baxter’s men will have to up their game immensely from the disastrous showing against Cape Verde in their previous qualifiers.
“The match in Cape Verde was the worst performance of a Bafana team I have seen in a long, long time. That match was so bad that I even got calls from some fans suggesting that I go somewhere to the hills to get something, maybe special projects,” he giggled.
He admits though that Bafana being bottom of their group is no laughing matter, and the possibility of them getting three points from their Senegal match should the Court of Arbitration for Sport overturn Fifa’s decision to have it replayed notwithstanding.
“But I want to believe that was just an off week for the team because based on what we had seen at training in Cape Verde, Bafana can play those guys off the park anytime," Jordaan said.
“This group is still open. This group is very tight because no one can say they have qualified. So we have to tell the players that we have to win this game.”
Meanwhile, Jordaan lamented the poor refereeing that has marred the PSL season so far and said it was perhaps time to go the technological route.
“Perhaps we should consider using TMOs like they do in rugby. Technology is the solution for me,” Jordaan said.
“Even now with the decisions in the PSL, if we had technology we might not have had the outcry we have now. The time has come that decisions, such as goals and offside in the final third, be dealt with swiftly - in 10 seconds and not 10 months.”
Jordaan said he has instructed Safa chief executive Dennis Mumble to deal with the poor refereeing decisions.
“We have had too many controversial decisions so early in the start of the season, maybe we can write to Fifa and ask them to allow us to use TMOs,” Jordaan said.