Jarring setbacks for Santana's Bafana "Grand Arrival"
9/5/2008 17:25
It is meant to be a "Grand Arrival" for Bafana Bafana's new Brazilian
coach, Joel Santana, today.
Instead, it all turned sour when first SAFA CEO
Raymond Hack announced that Santana had been delayed because of work permit
technicalities - with the new Bafana coach's farewell game for popular Rio de
Janeiro club Flamengo in Brazil on Wednesday at the same time transformed from
an anticipated emotional triumph into a veritable disaster.
Seeking their
first Copa Libertadores title since 1981 when they were crowned World Champions,
Flamengo were routed 3-0 by Mexico's America FC at the cavernous Maracana
Stadium and eliminated from the competition on a 5-4 aggregate.
But what made
it such a bitter pill for Santana and the estimated 40 million supporters that
Flamengo reputedly boast in Brazil was that the "Carioca Darlings" had beaten
their opponents 4-2 in the away leg in Mexico last week and overall victory
after the second-leg at home was considered no more than a formality.
Hack
further dampened the situation by revealing that Santana would only be in South
Africa after arrangements for his work permit and other technicalities had been
sorted out - which could result in a delay of up to 10 days, the South African
Press Association reported yesterday.
And with Bafana due to face Nigeria's
formidable "Super Eagles" in an African Nations Cup qualifier in Nigeria in
three weeks, 10 days might seem like a lifetime for anxious Safa
officials.
Xinhua
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