Former Super Eagles goalkeeper, Daniel Akpeyi, has expressed sympathy for South Africa’s Bafana Bafana, saying it would be unfortunate for them to miss out on next year’s FIFA World Cup after all their efforts during the qualifiers.
Bafana Bafana had been in a promising position to qualify for their first World Cup since 2010, topping Group C at one point thanks to a series of strong performances.
However, their campaign suffered a major blow when FIFA deducted three points from them for fielding ineligible midfielder Teboho Mokoena in a match against Lesotho earlier in the qualifiers.
The setback proved costly, as South Africa were later held to a goalless draw by Zimbabwe on Friday, dropping them to second place, two points behind group leaders Benin Republic.
Sharing his thoughts on the situation, Akpeyi told SuperSport: “It’s quite unfortunate that after all the hard work Bafana Bafana have put into this campaign, they’ve reached a point where they need to bring out the calculator.
“It’s unfortunate that they could lose all of this at the very end, but there’s still a chance.
“We never know what will happen in the final games, so we’re still giving Bafana Bafana the benefit of the doubt.”
The qualifiers conclude on Tuesday, with Hugo Broos’ side set to host Rwanda in a must-win encounter, while the Super Eagles will face Benin Republic in Uyo in another crucial tie.
