Bafana Bafana coach, Ephraim ‘Shakes” Mashaba has taunted that Super Eagle have spurned their opportunity to secure an automatic qualification ticket to next year’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.The race to AFCON 2015 is heating up, with the reigning kings, Nigeria heightening fears amongst their fans, after picking up a solitary point from an available six, to now sit precariously in the third position in Group A, comprising Congo, South Africa and Sudan.
Congo top with six points, followed by Bafana Bafana, with four points while Sudan remain the whipping team, with no point from two games played.
With only two teams guaranteed automatic slots to Morocco 2015, Eagles are in grave danger of missing out of the biggest soccer showpiece on the continent.
A clear picture of Eagles fate will emerge next month when they travel to face Sudan on October 10, followed by the return leg in Calabar on October 15.
On these same dates, Congo and South Africa will be locked in a battle for supremacy, with the Congolese playing hosts first before traveling to the Rainbow nation for their reverse fixture.
And speaking in an interview with the Cape Times, Mashaba said the Eagles were not in control of their destiny.
“Having lost to Congo in Calabar, Nigeria no longer have control of their fate. Losing at home is a big deal in this qualifying campaign. It is not going to be easy for a team that lost at home to qualify.
“So I feel that Nigeria have lost their chance but it is not entirely over for them as they still have four match to play. But the points dropped at home might count against them at last”, added Mashaba, who is having his second stint as coach of the Bafana Bafana.
On the strength of the match against Nigeria, Mashaba rated his side higher than the African champions.
“We created more chances than this team. They had only three chances and we had about four to seven clear goal scoring chances which we didn’t take.
“This is a clear indication of what our football is made of. We should have slaughtered Nigeria after a long time.
“It was our free walk in the park and we planned for them very well. We have indicated to the players that it won’t be a tactical game but it will be a mental game.
“We were all over them in the last 15 minutes and we should have scored. Some of our players are still struggling with stage fright and it killed them. But now we are going back to the drawing board and we will see what we can do.”