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Cape Town - Bafana Bafana head coach Stuart Baxter admits to being “very, very disappointed” after seeing his charges go down 2-1 against Cape Verde in a crucial 2018 World Cup qualifier.
READ: Defeat leaves Bafana's SWC dream in tatters
READ: Bafana trolled in reaction to Cape Verde defeat
A nation just off the northwest coast of Africa surprised Bafana Bafana as a Garry Rodrigues' brace ensured that his country have a fighting chance in their quest for qualification.
With a population of just under 540 000, Cape Verde put a dent into South Africa's chances with back-to-back victories within five days.
South Africa went into the encounter needing a victory after Cape Verde's Nuno Rocha struck twice to beat Bafana Bafana by the same scoreline last week Friday.
The defeat left Baxter's charges anchored at the bottom of Group D after Senegal and Burkina Faso played out to a 2-2 draw.
"I'm totally gutted. What it means to me as a professional and someone who loves this country, I'm very, very disappointed," Baxter told SuperSport TV in his post-match interview.
"We have to now rely on other results. We don't have it in our own hands. But still we need to make sure that we do our work first.
"That's what we tried to do tonight and that's what we'll try to do in the next two games," he added.
Meanwhile, Baxter remains optimistic and believes that “a door may open” for South Africa to capitalise on in order to qualify.
"I know football is funny game and things can turn up. A door may open. I can't say I'm confident (we'll qualify) if I'm a realist," said Baxter
"We'll try very hard to win the last two games and see what happens."
Remaining Group D fixtures:
Saturday, October 7: South Africa v Burkina Faso (FNB Stadium, Johannesburg), Cape Verde v Senegal (Praia)
Monday, November 6: Burkina Faso v Cape Verde (Ouagadougou), Senegal v South Africa (Dakar)
