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Bafana boss refuses to give up
Joel Santana is upbeat about South Africa's chances of finishing second
in Africa Cup of Nations qualifying Group Four.
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Santana - things just aren't working (football365.co.za)
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When the preliminary tournament kicked off, Bafana had hoped
to challenge Nigeria for top spot in the pool. However, the 2010 World
Cup hosts have managed a single win, over minnows Equatorial Guinea, in
their four qualifiers to date.
And some might say that the worst performance was the 0-0 draw against
Sierra Leone in Pretoria on Saturday.
This draw leaves Santana's men a massive eight points adrift of the group's
leaders Nigeria.
Despite this deficit and the abysmal form, the Brazilian boss remains
adamant over his side's prospects.
"We can qualify by winning our remaining fixtures against Nigeria
and Equatorial Guinea," he said after the match at Super Stadium.
The former Flamengo boss lamented the Leone Stars' gamesmanship, which
he said ruined the game.
"Sierra Leone did not want to play and they kept pretending to be
injured.
"The best team does not always win, but our chances are not over,"
he concluded.
The result was the last thing Santana needed as the notoriously impatient
South African Football Association has already warned that he will be
fired should he fail to lead the team to the continental showpiece which
takes place in Angola in around 18 months time.
Football365.co.za,
21/06/08
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