(Image Source: BuaNews / All Africa)
BY MIKKEL NOEL LANZKY
ANCHOIR ANA COMPAIN-ROMERO
The players celebrated -- they thought they were moving on. Bafana Bafana thought it was going to the African Cup of Nations after a draw with Sieera Leone. But the mood quickly went from jubilation to disbelief. Turns out, South Africa got the rules wrong and didn’t qualify after all. ESPN Soccernet breaks it down.
“This is how the South Africans thought they finished. A three-way tie at the top of their group with Sierra Leone and Niger and South Africa thinking they win through on goal difference. But wait, they got it wrong. Obviously they forgot to read the rulebook, because when teams are locked together on points it goes down to a mini table if you like, head to head between these teams. And it was Niger who came out on top.”
South Africa’s head coah Pitso Mosimane says he read the rules but misinterpreted them. Now South Africa is submitting an official complaint with the Confederation of African Football, arguing that goal differential is the best way to break ties. Mark Gleeson, columnist for Sport24, says the appeal is just a way to avoid responsibility for the mistake.
“While the South African Football Association might be seeking to shift the blame, and make further fools of themselves by complaining about the methodology of determining group winners, the rules and regulations were fixed and published a long time ago. ... Pitso Mosimane plainly did not read them; neither did anybody else at SAFA House. It is a disgrace.”
The notion that South Africa brought the situation upon themselves is echoed by former South African coach Clive Barker, who told SuperSport.com...
"The rules employed for the African Nations Cup are entrenched and Safa and the Bafana technical staff should have been aware of them before the deciding game against Sierra Leone […] It is mind-boggling that no one at Safa or in the Bafana set-up was familiar with the facts."
Not surpisingly South African fans are angry and embarrassed. KickOff.com asked for reader reactions and got some straight talk. One reader wrote...
“I nearly changed my citizenship. How incompetent can they be? The rules were there from the start, and they affect anybody as they would Bafana Bafana.”
While another chimed in with...
“Safa needs to save us further embarrassment and withdraw the appeal. I think reality has finally hit home -- Bafana Bafana doesn't have the quality required for us to take part in such tournament.”
Transcript by Newsy.
