South Africa to play six World Cup warm-up matches (07.03.2002)
JOHANNESBURG
- World Cup qualifiers South Africa will play six warm-up matches ahead of the tournament, the national football association said Wednesday.
Bafana Bafana (The Boys), drawn with Spain, Paraguay and Slovenia in South Korea-based Group B, face fellow finalists Saudi Arabia on March 20 at an undisclosed Italian venue.
The 1996 African champions travel to Tbilisi for a March 27 date with Georgia followed by a Castle Cup southern Africa championship tie in Botswana four days later.
Yugoslavia, a notable absentee from a World Cup to be co-hosted by Japan, visit South Africa for a match on April 17 and there will also be friendlies against unnamed opponents on May 11 and 15.
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SouthAfrica made their World Cup debut in France four years ago, losing 3-0 to the hosts and eventual winners, and drawing 1-1 with Denmark and 2-2 with Saudi Arabia.
The present squad is considered much weaker than the 1998 one with a humiliating quarter-finals defeat by hosts Mali last month in the African Nations Cup triggering a coaching reshuffle.
Former star Jomo Sono, coach and owner of Premiership club Jomo Cosmos, has been drafted in to work with Mozambique-born national coach Carlos Queiroz.
World Cup action begins on May 31 in the South Korean capital, Seoul, with a match between defending champions France and shock African qualifiers Senegal.
