HERE we go again!
Bafana Bafana will travel to the hot and dusty Ouagadougou on Saturday to take on The Stallions in the opening match of the Fifa World Cup Russia 2018 Qualifiers on Saturday, 8 October at Stade Du 4 Aout in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
Kick-off is at 8pm SA time.
Bafana head coach, Ephraim “Shakes” Mashaba, has gone once again with a blunt attack.
He’s added 31-year-old Bidvest Wits striker Eleazar Rodgers and Polokwane City’s Thobani Mcwango to the powder-puff strikers Tokelo Rantie and Thamsanqa Gabuza.
Gabuza hasn’t started a game for his club, Orlando Pirates, this season, while Rantie joined Turkish outfit Genclerbirligi on the off-season after failing to get a place at English Premiership club Bournemouth last season.
Rodgers is keen to add to his two caps earned in 2012.
“Our downfall in failing to qualify for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals in Gabon) was the lack of goals,” Mashaba admitted when he announced the squad.
And on Gabuza, the national coach said: “I decided to stick with Gabuza as he’s an important player.”
Mncwango was called up earlier this year for the Afcon qualifier against Gambia in June.
Mashaba is aware that the last time the countries met in a World Cup qualifier in Ouagadougou was in 2005, when Bafana lost 3-1.
“We’ve only beaten them in friendlies recently and that doesn’t count.
“We have to beat them where it matters most, in the World Cup,” Mashaba said.
Mashaba is likely to add Mamelodi Sundowns’ attacking midfielders, Keagan Dolly and Sibusiso Vilakazi, to the attacking mix in a desperate search for goals.
Mashaba knows he has to collect six points from Burkina Faso to make sure Bafana are still on the track line to reach Russia in 2018.
There’s been plenty of speculation that failure will see Mashaba get the boot.
His bosses at the SA Football Association have warned him that failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup showpiece is not an option.
Watch this space!
Bafana vs Burkina Faso head to head
January 2001:
SA 1 – 0 Burkina Faso
(World Cup qualifier)
June 2001:
Burkina Faso 1 – 1 SA (World Cup qualifier)
January 2002:
Burkina Faso 0 – 0 SA
(Africa Cup of Nations)
July 2004:
SA 2 – 0 Burkina Faso
(World Cup qualifier)
September 2005:
Burkina Faso 3 – 1 SA
(World Cup qualifier)
August 2011:
SA 3 – 0 Burkina Faso
(Friendly International)
August 2013:
SA 2 – 0 Burkina Faso
(Friendly International)
