Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Matchday 2 in Group A

All eyes in South Africa are focused on the Bafana Bafana tonight and their match against New Zealand. With Spain still waiting on the horizon, a victory is critical for South Africa's hopes of advancing to the semifinals. Great news for the squad that Everton midfielder Steven Pienaar is expected to be back in the lineup after missing the opening match due to injury. The Bafana Bafana have one point following their 0-0 draw against Iraq in the opening match of the tournament, and they are under a tremendous amount of pressure from fans and media to get a result. "We all know what this game means for the country," said defender Matthew Booth. "The game against New Zealand is a must-win for both teams as we drew and they lost."

The South Africans are cautious not to underestimate New Zealand, who were pounded by Spain 5-0 in their first match.

In the first match of the day, Spain has a chance to inch one step closer to history when they take on Iraq. The European champions are currently riding a remarkable 33-match unbeaten run, two shy of Brazil's all-time record of 35.

A Spanish victory would also extend their winning streak to 14 matches, tying the all-time record for successive victories set by France, Brazil and Australia.

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