Bafana Bafana’s latest defeat to Mali at the AFCON finals has already left the 1996 winners with their backs to the ropes with regards to seeking a way through from Group E.
The order of events in the group which started with a shock 1-0 victory for Namibia over Tunisia before Bafana succumbed yet again to Mali has thrown spanners into the works for Hugo Broos.
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With the first round of fixtures done, Bafana have sunk to the bottom of the group – which will come with a flight back home if it remains that way at the end of this group a week from now.
Truth be told, victory against Mali was always going to be a big ask considering that the West Africans were playing in familiar territory across the border from home with a team largely made up of players from European clubs.
A starting line-up made of players from Real Sociedad, Montpellier, Sporting Braga, RB Leipzig, Tottenham Hotspur, Reims, Red Bull Salzburg, Auxerre, amongst others and substitutes from the English Premiership, Serie A, Swiss top league, Ligue 1, and Austrian top league gave, the Eagles an edge.
In comparison, only Sphephelo ‘Yaya’ Sithole was coming from a club in Europe in the Bafana starting XI and worse in his case it is only a second division club in Portugal.
The other nine in the starting line-up for Bafana on Tuesday night play in the DStv Premiership which evidently made Bafana lightweight compared to Mali on face value.
Even Namibia started with three European based players in their win over Tunisia.
With all of that aside, the task ahead for Bafana means it might as well not be in their hands anymore.
A win against Namibia is non-negotiable on Sunday and from there the best option to stay alive will be another victory against Tunisia next Wednesday.
All else will be a series of headaches and calculations.
Defeat against Namibia will mean game over while a draw will mean the game against Tunisia is a must win at all costs, though qualification will still not be guaranteed.
As it stands, Mali and Namibia have the edge in the group and just like Bafana, the Carthage Eagles are under extreme pressure to win their next two, considering that they are the third best team on the continent and former winners.
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The slice of hope for Bafana is that four of the best third placed teams in the six groups will also go through but that will be not in their hands and be like playing dice.
If the group is decided on tiebreakers, Mali will have the edge over Bafana if the two finish on a similar number of points with the head-to-head matches being the first determining factor followed by goal difference, most goals and drawing of lots in that order.
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