Already the South Africans’ chances of reaching Gabon 2017 hang by a thread.
Ordinarily a 2-2 draw in Cameroon would be considered a fine result.
However, given that Bafana started with a 0-0 home draw against Gambia, then a 3-1 away defeat to Mauritania, they now need to win their three remaining games, and hope for Cameroon to lose all of theirs, to stand an almost impossible chance of winning the group.
Or, perhaps more realistically, but still a long shot, South Africa need maximum points to add to their current two to try to make their way up the standings of best group runners-up, the best two of whom qualify for the Afcon.
Team doctor Thulani Ngwenya said left back Matlaba would miss the match as he was feeling dizziness from the mild concussion he sustained from a clash of heads in Limbe on Saturday.
Ngcongca had to go off – he was replaced by Rivaldo Coetzee at right-back in the 45th minute – with a calf strain, and will not recover for tonight’s match.
Midfielder Mpho Makola pulled up with a quad muscle injury later yesterday, and is also unavailable. Coetzee and Mamelodi Sundowns’ uncapped Asavela Mbekile are coach Shakes Mashaba’s options at right back. On the left the choice is between Bidvest Wits’ Sifiso Hlanti and Cheslyn Jampies, of Jomo Cosmos, neither of whom have been capped.
Bafana captain and goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune said the loss of the team’s two front-line fullbacks was clearly a blow.
“We’ll definitely miss their experience because that’s the back four that has been playing constantly. But again, we’ve got the experienced Rivaldo Coetzee who’s been partnering Tower [Mathoho] in central defence.
“He did fairly well at right back. On the left, it’s the coach’s job to choose between Hlanti and Jampies. They’ve been working very hard at training.”
Darren Keet has a stomach bug and Jackson Mabokgwane will deputise for Khune at keeper.
Khune said Bafana needed to improve on protecting a lead, a weak point that also cost the team when they went 1-0 up three times at last year’s Africa Cup of Nations finals tournament in Equatorial Guinea – against Algeria, Senegal and Ghana – but failed to beat all three.
