Why Zimbabwe, not Bafana, could be the best bet for COSAFA at Afcon

The teams of the Council of Football Associations of Southern Africa have had various fortunes during the qualifying campaign for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.

Angola, Namibia and Madagascar, for the first time, have qualified for the centerpiece of the continent, while eight of the teams in the region are excluded.

Of these, Zambia is the biggest shock, with Chipolopolo failing to fulfill the promise of the 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign, which has completely failed despite its grouping in a rather favorable group. .

The hopes of three nations are at stake. The fate of Lesotho, South Africa and Zimbabwe is to be decided on Sunday.

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The trio all have their fate in their hands; minnows Lesotho would advance with a win and a draw would be enough if Tanzania failed to beat the already qualified Uganda in Dar es Salaam.

For Bafana Bafana, the permutations are even simpler. they will advance if they avoid defeat against Libya in Sfax, Tunisia.

In the field, however, things will be particularly trying for Stuart Baxter, who must rely on qualities they have not demonstrated so far during the campaign to reach Egypt.

This clash in North Africa – where Bafana has a mixed record – requires intelligent game management, experience and balance, defensive resilience and a clinical finish to seize the few chances that come their way.

The giants of southern Africa were criticized in each of these areas during the campaign.

Baxter is complaining about his inexperienced team, and the absence of Itumeleng Khune due to an injury certainly worsens the situation before this decisive qualifier.

Defensively, South Africa has excelled in the playoffs so far – having conceded only once in five games – but it is a weaker prospect in the back without Khune.

Similarly, several of the main defenders of the national team, including captain Thulani Hlatshwayo, Buhle Mkhwanazi and Sifiso Hlanti, were part of the background of Bidvest Wits, which capitulated in recent weeks.

The defense of the Clever Boys was considered insufficient, their title challenge faded, the trio having all submitted projections that revealed their vulnerability. The Wits have not cleaned since the beginning of February, conceding 11 losses in their last six games.

In terms of clinical arrival, the Bafana would not even be in this situation if they tried their luck against Libya at home and against Seychelles.

A bit embarrbading, Baxter blamed Victoria's artificial pitch for this impbade – a miserable 0-0 against a ranked 189th in the world – but these comments were placed in a delicate context when Libya sent the same team 8- 1 at the same place.

South Africa's offensive prowess will be further weakened by the absence of Keagan Dolly, although Lars Veldwijk has been reinstated to give Baxter an important Plan B for the future.

If Bafana were to fall on Sunday, they would only have to take it into their own hands. On their way to Afcon, they missed open goals, figuratively and literally, but failed to deliver on the promise they made with Gernot Rohr's victory over Nigeria in 2017.

Libya now represents a worrying prospect for Baxter's troops, who are seeking to qualify for a second Afcon only – they had been hosts in 2013 – since 2008.

If South Africa's regional power status is not at stake, their status as COSAFA's best bet against Afcon is severely threatened on Sunday.

Although they are progressing, they may not be the most promising prospect in the region to enjoy a deep race at the biennial continental event.

Despite being against a tough qualifying group including Congo and Liberia, Zimbabwe has negotiated its challenges well and is in pole position to progress when Group G ends Sunday.

The Warriors, who won the COSAFA Cup in 2017 and 2018, have taken eight points in five games so far, losing just once, and are currently leading the group.

Not only that, but they also have a home game against the lowest-ranked team of the group – Congo-Brazzaville – in Harare on Sunday to decide whether they will reach Egypt or not.

The Chidzambwa team's challenge on the field is easier than Bafana's, although they find themselves in the same boat as their regional neighbors: a win or a draw would be enough to progress.

They could even qualify with a loss against Liberia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, tied in Kinshasa.

The Zimbabwean team looks elite in its May 4 clobber, an excellent decision on the part of someone to make the most risky choice and go out for double-baded suits! pic.twitter.com/lw4m4jUmEa

– Ed Dove (@ EddyDove) March 23, 2019

Zim has been one of the unsung successes of the African game in recent years; They ended 11 years of absence from the Nations Cup to qualify for the 2017 tournament and conquered many admirers through a series of offensive series in Gabon even though they dropped to first obstacle.

They were unable to fulfill this promise during the World Cup qualifying program after being excluded from the tournament for failing to pay former coach Jose Claudinei.

However, they have since made amends and demonstrated greater resilience during this qualifying campaign.

With Knowledge Musona and Khama Billiat in the attack, they defeated the DRC and took a point from the Republic of Congo in Brazzaville, while taking four points from both Central African rivals in front of their own fans.

The tone was set during their opening qualification, a comfortable 3-0 demolition of Liberia in Harare, and the only setback was a 1-0 defeat by the same opponent in Monrovia in November, preventing them from qualifying with a game to play. .

Chidzambwa built his reputation as a coach on his defensive organization and this quality, combined with Zimbabwe's natural attacking talent, forged a dizzying combination.

One of Zim's concerns is the absence of midfielder Marvelous Nakamba, but even without him, the Warriors have enough to cross the park. Red Devils.
The team also has an extra motivation. As vice-captain Ovidy Karuru points out, they are playing for the victims of Cyclone Idai, which devastated parts of Zimbabwe and Mozambique earlier this week.

"It is unfortunate that our Zimbabwean compatriots must have died in this way," he told reporters in the All Africa campaign.

"It really hurts us, and as warriors, we will not only donate to those who have been touched, but we will also play for the deceased.

"We can not afford to lose the match and not qualify for the finals of the CAN, and I am sure that all those who have died want us to come to Egypt," he added.

"We are entering the game knowing full well that we have to play a role, at least to reduce the pain that is troubling the nation."

A place like the golden hope of the region in Egypt could well wait for Zim if they can avoid the misfires in Harare on Sunday, whether the Bafana join them or not.