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South Africa Focuses On World Cup Qualification
South Africa coach, Gordon Igesund has said that there will be no room for errors when his side resume their qualification campaign for the 2014 World Cup.
Bafana Bafana face the Central Africa Republic in Cape Town on 23 March knowing only a win will do as they sit third in Group A after draws with Ethiopia and Botswana last year.
And Igesund revealed there will be changes to the team that reached the quarter-finals of last month’s Africa Cup of Nations on home soil.
“There are no other thoughts other than winning because we are all aware that a draw will not help our cause”
“We are not in a good position in the qualifiers,” he admitted. “We have dropped four huge points and are left with four games, so we are basically playing catch-up. We are in a situation where we almost have to win every game.
“Qualifying for the World Cup is huge for us, so we can’t afford to lose, that is the bottom line.
“There will be a couple of changes – the team will be a lot more offensive. There are a few areas that we need to fix.
“There are a few players that are coming back from injury that I need to have a good look at over the next couple of days like Morgan Gould, Ayanda Xulu, Bevan Fransman and Daylon Claasen.”
Ethiopia sit top of the group, with second-placed CAR one point ahead of South Africa and Botswana bottom of the table with one point.
With only the top two teams in the group guaranteed a place in the second round in the quest to qualify for the tournament in Brazil, Igesund knows it is vital that South Africa make up ground on CAR.
“It is very important because at the moment CAR are above us on the standings, and we need to beat them to overtake them,” said the 56-year-old.
“Should we achieve that, then psychologically we have achieved something and then we can get the momentum going.
“That is why I say there are no other thoughts other than winning because we are all aware that a draw will not help our cause. And sometimes when you go out knowing what you have to do, it becomes a little bit easier because the players know we have to win.”
Igesund’s preparations for the game against CAR were disrupted when he was admitted to hospital and had an operation to remove his appendix but he says he is “fully recovered” and ready for the task ahead.
“When I was in hospital, my technical team sent me reports about players and matches and now that I am out of hospital I am also watching the matches again,” he said.
“We have to pick a team that has to perform and hopefully that will see us qualify for the World Cup. Now it is just a matter of picking the team that will play this one particular match and get the three points.”
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CAFCL : Rivers United Arrives DR Congo
Rivers United FC of Port Harcourt contingent, comprising players, technical crew, backroom staff, and officials, depart the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos State on Wednesday, bound for Kinshasa, DR Congo.
The team is set to face FC Les Aigles du Congo in the first-round first-leg match of the CAF Champions League.
This was contained in a press release signed by the media officer of the club, Charles Mayuku and made available to Tidesports on Wednesday.
He said that the highly anticipated match is scheduled to take place at the 80,000-capacity Kinshasa-Complexe Omnisports Stade des Martyrs on morrow with kickoff slated for 3:30pm.
According to the statement the encounter marks the first-ever meeting between both sides in any competition, adding that an air of excitement and unpredictability to the fixture.
“As the Pride of Nigeria embarks on this crucial journey, the team is determined to return with a decent result that will set them up favorably for the second leg on Sunday, 28th September” the statement said.
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FIFA rankings: S’Eagles drop Position, remain sixth in Africa
The new rankings, released via FIFA’s official X handle on Thursday, reflect the team’s continued struggles under Coach Eric Chelle amid a stuttering 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.
This marks a second consecutive decline after the Nigerian side dropped from 43rd to 44th in August on the back of poor outings in recent international matches.
Despite Nigeria’s setback, several African teams made progress. Morocco remains the continent’s highest-ranked side, sitting 11th in the world after winning eight of their last nine matches. Senegal, Egypt, Algeria and Côte d’Ivoire complete Africa’s top five.
Lesotho slipped to 153rd place, while Benin Republic, Nigeria’s upcoming opponent, climbed to 93rd. South Africa’s Bafana Bafana, who held the Super Eagles to a 1-1 draw in June, rose to 55th, strengthening their bid for World Cup qualification.
Zimbabwe had the biggest slide down the ranking table, dropping nine places to 125th position in the world.
The rankings highlight Nigeria’s struggle to regain form on the global stage as key rivals continue to surge ahead.
Similarly, the Super Falcons of Nigeria remain 36th best in the world], while the Spanish female national team replaced the USA at the top of the women’s ranking.
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