Bafana Bafana lost 3 - 0 to Iceland on Tuesday night, bringing the South African team’s tally to eight games lost out of nine.

This game had a great deal riding on it from Bafana coach Joel Santana’s perspective, with his side being closely watched and his job on the line if results did not turn around drastically.

In the early stages of the match Macbeth Sibaya had a good shot on goal from distance, but despite an awkward bounce the goalkeeper collected the ball.

The stadium was virtually empty, with the players on the pitch more audible than the few supporters in the crowd on a very cold night in Iceland. The South Africans had a desperate look about them, with every counter attack and scoring opportunity having extra pressure attached to it after so many bad results in the last few months.

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The new Safa president Kirsten Nematandani have appointed a panel comprising of SuperSport United coach Gavin Hunt and two former Bafana coaches Clive Barker and Jomo Sono to assess Bafana’s performances under Joel Santana.

Santana and his beleaguered Bafana squad leave on Tuesday night for two friendly matches against Norway in Oslo on Saturday and Iceland in Reykjavik next Tuesday knowing that his new bosses are going to be much tougher to please than the old regime and mediocrity will not be tolerated.

Nematandani and his new committee have made no bones about the fact they are fed up with the poor results that Bafana and Santana have delivered since the Confederations Cup in June.

Nematandani warned after the Safa annual general meeting last Saturday that getting Bafana back on track for next June’s World Cup finals was one of his major priorities.

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Under-fire Bafana Bafana head coach Joel Santana looked resigned to his fate on Thursday after local media called for his head when he named a 23-man squad to play Norway and Iceland in friendly internationals in Oslo on October 10 and Reykjavik on October 13.

At a packed media briefing, Brazilian born Santana was told by new South African Football Association president Kirstin Nematandani that he had given the unpopular coach a stay of execution.

“We met with Santana and his technical team on Wednesday,” said the new Safa boss.

“We are aware of the outcry about Bafana’s lack of success in recent matches. We told the coach that we expect him to start bringing back results.

“But we need to give Santana and his team our full support before we take the step of firing or not firing him.”

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Joel Santana received the best possible news on Sunday concerning his injured stars Steven Pienaar, Teko Modise and Tsepo Masilela.

Both Orlando Pirates midfield star Modise and Israel-based left-back Masilela did not play in Bafana’s 1 - 0 win over Poland in their final warm-up friendly at Orlando Stadium on Saturday ahead of the Confederations Cup which kicks off on Sunday. Bafana face Iraq in the opening Group A clash at Ellis Park on Sunday at 4pm.

Pienaar limped off midway through the second half of the victory over Poland with a swollen ankle.

But Bafana manager Sipho Nkumane revealed on Sunday that all three players would be reporting fit for training on Monday morning.

“I have just seen Steven (Pienaar) and there is no problem,” said Nkumane. “He twisted his ankle against Poland but fortunately it is not serious and that is tremendous news for the squad.”

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Local based players will get the first chance to impress Bafana Bafana head coach Joel Santana in 2009 when the Brazilian names a squad comprises only Premier Soccer League players next week to play Zambia in the first friendly of the year at Atteridgeville’s Super Stadium on January 27.

As this friendly is a practice match, no caps will be awarded. But it is an important game for Santana as this will be the first opportunity for the coach to start fine tuning the squad ahead of the Confederations Cup in June where Bafana are in the group with European champions Spain, Asian kingpins Iraq, and Oceania champions New Zealand.

Santana will meet with his technical team on Thursday to prepare for the friendly and begin selecting players.

But this is an excellent opportunity for local players to impress against Zambia and catch the coach’s eye ahead of next month friendly against Chile for which caps will be awarded.” Bafana play Chile on February 17 in Polokwane on a Fifa sanctioned date.

Santana will use the core of PSL players he has used in recent matches such as Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune, crafty winger Siphiwe Tshabalala, Thanda Royal Zulu striker Bernard Parker - if he has not been transferred to Red Star Belgrade - Golden Arrows class midfield anchor Kagisho Dikgacoi, Orlando Pirates midfield maestro Teko Modise, plus Mamelodi Sundowns players Siboniso Gaxa, Robyn Johannes, Surprise Moriri and Lerato Chabangu as the backbone of his squad.

Santana, who returned from a holiday in Brazil on Monday is not able to call up any of his overseas based players as the match fall outside a Fifa sanctioned date.

Said Sanyane: “This gives the coach the perfect opportunity to get an early look at what is available in the PSL and reward players who are shaping well this season.”

With the Confederations Cup around the corner and the 2010 World Cup just 18 months away, every friendly game Bafana play will be taken seriously.

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