Tournament News
Bafana face early exit fears
2009-12-05 10:10
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Johannesburg - Bafana Bafana have been confronted with the foreboding prospect of first round elimination from next year's World Cup - which, if it materialises, would heap on South Africa the unenviable record of becoming the first host nation to have failed to reach the second round of the 80-year global extravaganza.
This was the stark outcome from the sumptuous event at the Cape Town International Convention Centre on Friday night that pitted Bafana in a first round group with the world's seventh-ranked France, 15th-ranked Mexico and 19th-ranked Uruguay.
The draw provided what was very nearly the worst of any of the expectations for battling, 86th ranked Bafana, with the deep furrows on the brow of coach Carlos Alberto Parreira aptly reflecting the grim outcome and nagging concern.
FIFA's draw master Jerome Valcke was assisted among others by South Africa's Oscar-winning actress, Charlize Theron, South African rugby captain John Smit, fast bowler Makhaya Ntini, African athletic icon Haile Gebreselassie and soccer players David Beckham and Matthew Booth in what demonstrated ultimately for the hosts that "all is not gold that glitters."
And while it was not a good draw for FIFA or the South African organisers, who rely heavily on the prospect of the host nation at least finishing second in the first segment and thereby making it through to the second round, lingering concern also emerged over what immediately earned the unenviable title of the "Group of Death" - with favourites and five-times champions Brazil and other fancied teams Portugal and Africa's Ivory Coast pitted together along with Korea DPR.
World Cups are traditionally dependant on the continuing presence of dazzling Brazil to ensure maximum exposure for the events' success and while the star-studded favourites will be expected to progress through to the second round, their task could have been made a lot easier.
And the prospect of a Kaka-inspired Brazil facing a Cristiano Ronaldo-led Portugal as early as the first round gives the World Cup a pedigree confrontation of the highest order when the teams meet in Durban on June 25.
South Africa will open the World Cup with a game against Mexico at the awesome 90 000-seater Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg on June 11, play Uruguay at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on June 16 and France in Bloemfontein on June 22.
And should Bafana negotiate the first-round maze of problems that face them and finish second in Group A, they would play the winners of Group B at Soccer City in the second round - most probably either Argentina or Nigeria.
The Groups:
GROUP A: South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, France
GROUP B: Argentina, Nigeria, Korea Republic, Greece
GROUP C: England, USA, Algeria, Slovenia
GROUP D: Germany, Australia, Serbia, Ghana
GROUP E: Netherlands, Denmark, Japan, Cameroon
GROUP F: Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand, Slovakia
GROUP G: Brazil, Korea DPR, Ivory Coast, Portugal
GROUP H: Spain, Switzerland, Honduras, Chile