South Africa/Nigeria: Santana Remains Positive

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Kickoff (Cape Town)

6 September 2008
Posted to the web 7 September 2008

Bafana Bafana coach Joel Santana focused on the positives after defeat against Nigeria on Saturday meant Bafana Bafana would not qualify for the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations in Angola.

Bafana dominated the game and had chances to win it, but lost 1-0, a heart-breaking result which means the team fails to qualify for their continental showpiece for the first time since 1994.

"I went to each player individually after the game and told them they played very well," Santana says. "We dominated both halves of the game and had 16 shots to their four in the match. I am very satisfied with how we played.

"We are still experimenting with the team, but I wanted to show you (the media) the way we can play. I would rather lose with a team that plays good football, than win with a cowardly side that just defends."

Santana says his technical team will now focus intently on the local Absa Premiership competition to see if there are any gems to unearth.

"We have a pool of 40 players that we are working with, but we have only seen 70 to 80 percent of the players that we would like to and Jairo (Leal) and Pitso (Mosimane) will now look to the League."

Asked how much of a blow to 2010 preparations not to be going to Angola, Safa CEO Raymond Hack also looked to the positives.

"It gives the coach the chance to work with the players intensively from January to June ahead of 2010," he said. "It is disappointing for us not to be going to Angola, but it would be worse for us to win the Nations Cup in Angola, but then go out in the first round of the World Cup."

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