Failure to qualify for 2019’s Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals could cost Bafana Bafana as much as $4m in prize money alone‚ never mind millions more in lost sponsorship‚ marketing and television revenue. With the once powerful Bafana brand reduced now to occasional mockery‚ the country’s football is at a serious crossroads going into their key Group E qualifier against Nigeria at FNB Stadium on Saturday. A loss to the Super Eagles would put the chances of the SA national team in serious peril‚ leaving them needing to avoid defeat away in their last game against Libya to qualify for the tournament in Cameroon. SA have already missed out on their past two major tournaments — the 2017 Afcon finals in Gabon and the 2018 World Cup – leaving the SA Football Association without many sponsors‚ without a kit deal that pays them hard cash and without a television rights deal‚ which has collapsed in recent weeks. It is in stark contrast to the days when sponsors were tripping over themsel...
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