Bafana Bafana hit with injuries

Pretoria, Oct. 6, GNA - Crisis-hit Bafana Bafana are watching in disbelief how their World Cup qualifying problems have escalated as two key players limped off the pitch during Thursday's training. Veteran striker Shun Bartlet and attacking midfielder Sibosysu Zumah were seriously being attended to after both fell to the turf at separate incidents without any stiff challenge.

The situation has placed embattled coach Stuart Baxter in an uncomfortable position in his choice of players as the team clash with DR Congo in the final Africa Group Two qualifier in Durban on Saturday. In spite of the setback, leading South Africa forward Benni McCarthy is beaming with optimism for a massive home victory to at least qualify for the Nations Cup in Egypt next year.

Baxter who earlier had threatened to bow out if the team was unable to make it to the World Cup has rescinded his decision and has promised to lead the team to Egypt.

But their Cup of Nations dream could be in danger as DR Congo, who have a remote mathematical possibility of making it to Germany should Ghana's Black Stars falter, have had their morale boosted over the week with a donation of 100,000 dollars to the team.

DR Congo are highly motivated for once, that they could register a cricket score line over South Africa to upstage Ghana who need just a draw in Cape Verde Islands to make their maiden World Cup appearance. Ghana ended Bafana Bafana's World Cup dreams with home and away victories at the Baba Yara and FNB Stadia with a 5-1 aggregate score line forcing them to battle for a slot in the Cup of nations. The Stars top the standings with 18 points, three better that DR Congo and South Africa who are on 15 points each while Cape Verde are on 10, Burkina Faso, 12, and Uganda, 7.