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TOUGH ASK: Bafana caretaker coach Steve Komphela

BIG CHANCE: Bafana Bafana striker May Mahlangu Photo: Gallo Images

 Players can go some way to exorcising Mbombela demons 

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It is the venue where the side danced in celebration, believing they had qualified for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations finals after playing to a 0-0 draw against Sierra Leone, only to find out minutes later that they had misread the rules and Niger would head to the finals instead.

It remains possibly the side's lowest point since South Africa's readmission to international football 20 years ago, and has scarred this generation of players who, it could be argued, have yet to recover.

The side have won none of their six matches since then, a run which ultimately led to the axing of coach Pitso Mosimane, who was a "dead man walking" from that day on, always just one poor competitive result away from the sack.

It is ironic that Mbombela was viewed as something of a lucky venue for Bafana before their Sierra Leone disaster.

Their first match at the newly built 2010 Fifa World Cup host stadium saw them defeat Thailand 4-0, at the time the joint biggest win in the country's history before they bettered that record with a 5-0 victory over Guatemala just a few weeks later.

The team then recorded a 2-0 victory over Niger in their opening 2012 Nations Cup qualifier in September 2010, giving them a 100 percent record at the stadium going into the Sierra Leone fixture.

And so this venue will now forever be etched in the memories of Bafana supporters as one of disappointment. Victory over Gabon tonight, a first for the side in nine matches, would at least go some way to easing their pain.

May Mahlangu is expected to spearhead the hosts' attack.

Kickoff is at 8pm.

Comments

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Fri May 24 03:51:33 SAST 2013 ::

Jun 15, 2012

tpaz

SAFA , when are we getting a match at Loftus?
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Jun 15, 2012

Flemza

Steve just call all Powerlines FC players , they can perform better than this crop of players in Bafana Bafana at the moment , at least you won`t be playing against Sandunuza
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Jun 15, 2012

Stumaeza

It is the venue where the side danced in celebration

"They will dance again for a draw"
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Jun 15, 2012

WarrenG

I'll get the result on the internet when I wake in the morn
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Jun 15, 2012

G'STAR

DR.KHOZA MUST COME BACK GET SAFA HOUSE TO ORDER.....

LASTEST TRANSFER NEWS GEORGE MALULEKA OF AJAX CAPE TOWN IS ON A SWAP DEAL WITH O PIRATES THAT WILL POSSIBLE SEE BONGANI DROGBA NDULULA/NJABULO MANQANA GO TO AJAX.ON THERE OTHER SIDE RANTIE IS GOING BACK TO SWEDEN AND KERMIT ERASMUS IS THE POSSIBLE SUBSTITUTE.

KAIZER CHJEIFS ARE THE FINAL STAGES OF COMPLETING A DEAL WITH GOLDEN ARROWS OVER THANDUYISE KHUBONI AND ELRIO VAN HEERDERN.

ON THE OTHER HAND PITSO MOSIMANE IS HEADING TO PIRATES AS A TECHNICAL DIRECTOR TO PALACIOS AND HIS TECHNICAL TEAM THIS IS AFTER DR.KHOZA HOLD S HIGH ESTEEM OF MR MOSIMANE OF HIS KNOWLEDGE AND PASSION FOR CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE.

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Jun 15, 2012

Never-Never

Let us realistic guyz, dez nothing wrong wth de stadium. the problem is the whole management of SAFA. In future if we wanna win games we must start know in investing our talent in a right way like South African Rugby.
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Jun 15, 2012

Pitso.MCCMA.SAFA

Khompela should focus on the plan to win not on the pressure from management. I do not know why politics reached the soccer level with so much intensity
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Jun 15, 2012

mathopeed

wena khompela wa fostela shap, you dont deserve to be our coach (BB) no matter how linguistic intelligent you are. But theyl only give you only because of your skin colour (affirmative action). You are a good coach bt your standard is still below par to coach BB. We need a man with courage and determination, a championship mn who have done it before unlike you. You havent achievd a thing in club level but you want to experiment that in hotseat. Gordon Gudluck even if Suffer may ignore your achievements and choose to go the BEE route. Youl remain the Best in SA.
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Jun 15, 2012

Kasiologist

haibo Sowetan, you are just invitinga lawsuit from generations, the game starts at 8:30, not 8:00(Exclusive and trade marked)
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Jun 15, 2012

1andonlybucs

hehehehe Simphiwe Tshabalala and Itumeleng khune.. leading hlokolaza dancers!!

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