Liberia aim for upset against Bafana Bafana

Liberia will present a tricky challenge for South Africa in their back-to-back Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers that get under way at the Orlando Stadium on Friday.

Bafana Bafana have the more accomplished squad, but that is certainly no guarantee of victory as they chase the four points they need to book a place at the continental finals in Ivory Coast in January.

Coach Hugo Broos spoke this week about the need for the team to get six points to ensure qualification, but not for the first time he has got his sums wrong.

A win and a draw against Liberia in the next week would take them to four points in the group and leave the West Africans on one, with both teams facing a final game against Morocco.

If we assume Bafana lose at home to the Moroccans in June and Liberia somehow snatch an away win, that would leave both Bafana and Liberia on four points in the pool (with Morocco winning it with nine points).

However, unlike in Europe, CAF’s first instance of separating teams that are level on points is head-to-head, which would place Bafana above Liberia by virtue of the win and draw in the two games between them, and qualification secured from the three-team pool. The second fixture will be played in Monrovia on Tuesday.

Over the past 18 months, Liberia have played in 13 internationals and lost 10 of them. This includes four defeats out of six in their World Cup qualifying group, where they had to give up home advantage because there was no stadium fit for use in the country.

In March last year, Liberia lost all three games at a tournament in Antalya, Turkey to Benin, Burundi and Sierra Leone.

The side was coached by Peter Butler, who played for West Ham in the top flight in England and then took charge of Botswana’s national team from 2014-17.

But he has since been replaced by local Ansu Keita, who actually started his coaching career in Canada. After his family had fled to Guinea following the First Liberian Civil War, he started his playing career there, before moving to Morocco and finally North America.

Bafana have met Liberia twice before, both times in the qualifiers for the 2002 Nations Cup finals. They got a home win (2-1) and an away draw (1-1). The legendary George Weah was the player-coach of Liberia at the time, but is now the country’s president.

Included in the current squad is Mohammed Sangare from English third-tier side Accrington Stanley, who says there is a steely determination from the players to qualify for the Nations Cup finals. Four points from the two matches against Bafana Bafana will also do it for them.

"It is down to the players to make that happen,” Sangare said. "I think the most important thing is to qualify for the African Cup of Nations. We haven't done that in a while.

"I think if we can get that over the board that will be one of the country's greatest achievements. It will mean the world to them (the fans). So, it is down to the players now to make that happen.”

Terrence Tisdell, who was briefly with Baroka FC but is now playing in Azerbaijan, is also in the squad, one of 16 overseas-based players.

Liberia squad:

Goalkeepers: Tommy Songo (LISCR FC), Emmanuel Denneah (Bea Mountain) and Derrick Julu (Watanga FC)

Defenders: Arago Jamal (Al Ahly Benghazi, Libya), Prince Balde (Al Diwaniyah, Iraq), Darius Kah (LISCR FC), Sampson Dweh (MFK Vyskov, Czech Republic), Mark Pabai (Tabor Sezana, Slovenia), Marcus Macauley (Polis Diraja Malaysia, Malaysia) and Mohammed Sangare (Accrington Stanley, England)

Midfielders: Terrence Tisdell (Sumgayit FK, Azerbaijan), Joachim Adukor (unattached), Morris Konneh (Heaven Eleven), Murphy Oscar Dorley (Slavia Prague, Czech Republic), Nohan Kenneh (Ross County, Scotland), Allen Njie (FC Aarau, Switzerland), Justin Paul Salmon (Degerfors IF, Sweden) and Tonia Tisdell (Egypt Telecom, Egypt)

Forwards: William Jebor (Valletta, Malta), Peter Wilson (FK Jerv, Norway), Mohammed Kamara (Hapoel Haifa, Israel), Ketu Jerbo (FC Bea Mountain) and Farsedu Logan (Watanga FC)