Football
Nick Said, Special to ESPN 7y

D-Day looms as South Africa's revival is tested

It is fair to say that the next six days present the most important period in South Africa's national team history, arguably since they competed at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Back-to-back home and away fixtures against Cape Verde Islands could potentially set Bafana Bafana on course for a return to the World Cup, or equally extinguish realistic hopes of making Russia 2018.

They faced similarly crucial games in the qualifiers for the 2014 tournament, but that was with an ageing squad that was never really among the front-runners to reach Brazil.

This is a new Bafana, one injected with youth and exciting talent, that coach Stuart Baxter hopes will have the skill and temperament to negotiate the qualifiers and prove to the world next year that South African football is on the rise.

It has been almost 15 years since Bafana could call themselves a dominant force on the African continent, but there is the genuine hope and belief that with a new generation of players, under an astute leader like Baxter, they can return to those heady heights.

But the proof, as they say, is in the pudding, and to continue their upward trajectory they need to win a place in Russia. Their campaign to get there has started well -- a battling 1-1 draw in Burkina Faso provided a good platform, before their controversial 2-1 home success over Senegal.

In their only high-level qualifier since then, the side also claimed a first-ever victory in Nigeria when they triumphed 2-0 in June at the start of the Nations Cup preliminaries; more evidence of their growing stature.

They are behind Burkina Faso on goal-difference only in their qualifier group, and one point in front of Senegal. In a dream scenario Bafana would win both games against an ailing Cape Verde, who have been in free-fall in recent years, and the Burkinabe and Senegal draw their two clashes over the next week.

That would give them a four-point advantage at the top of the pool with a home game against Burkina Faso to come in October, and then a daunting away trip to Senegal in November to conclude the qualifiers. What they don't want is to have to go to Senegal and get a win. It would not be an impossible mission, but a hugely difficult one. 

There is every sign that Bafana can do the double over Cape Verde -- they did so in the qualifiers for the 2006 World Cup. Baxter has warned his players of the difficulty of playing on an artificial surface in Praia, which will change the nature of the contest, but could yet suit South Africa with their passing game, which is among the best on the continent.

The likely loss of playmaker Thulani Serero to a hamstring injury will be a blow in that regard, but in the likes of Percy Tau, Keagan Dolly, Kamohelo Mokotjo and Andile Jali they do have the players to unlock the home defence.

And Tokelo Rantie remains a potent weapon with his pace. He can be hit and miss in front of goal, but has that X-factor that means he will create chances for both himself and others in the game -- it is just whether his side can take them.

The side, minus their overseas contingent, have been practising on an artificial surface in Johannesburg this week, and will do the same in their two training sessions in Praia on Wednesday and Thursday.

Any perceived advantage that the home side may have by being 'used' to the artificial surface is negated by the fact that their entire squad is based in Europe and therefore also does not play or train on that type of pitch. They, too, must adapt their game, having only played a single home match in Praia this year, a 1-0 loss to Uganda in the Nations Cup qualifiers.

The importance of the next week has been emphasized by South African Football Association president Danny Jordaan and the country's Minister of Sport, Thulas Nxesi, having travelled with the squad.

It does have a 'D-Day' feel to it, that all things are possible in victory, or that even an away draw will feel like a defeat knowing the challenges that are to come.

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