Kickoff (Cape Town)
19 November 2008
Cameroon coach Otto Pfister alleges that a blunder by Safa means that four players, including Barcelona superstar Samuel Eto'o, will miss tonight's Nelson Mandela Challenge against Bafana Bafana.
The other players who will miss the match are Alexandre Song (Arsenal), Andre Bikey (Reading) and Geremi (Newcastle United).
According to Pfister, Safa were responsible for organizing visas for the Cameroon players as well as making travel arrangements. Pfister and co had clearly not reckoned on Safa's poor organization, which now means that the four top players will not make tonight's match.
"We are shocked that this has happened and hope that the South Africa can get their house in order so that this does not happen going into the 2010 World Cup," said Pfister.
Earlier it was reported that Eto'o had missed the flight from Spain that would have brought him to OR Tambo International Airport in good time for the game at Olympia Park, however Cameroon officials were unable to shed any light on the non-arrival of the Barcelona star as they were unaware at that stage of the blundering at Safa.
Even Bafana team manager Sipho Nkumane professed that he was in the dark as to the no-show of the three-times African Footballer of the Year who had been billed as the main attraction for this evening.
If this news is not enough to put a damper on fans' enthusiasm for the match, heavy downpours in Rustenburg are adding to the gloomy mood.
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