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http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/09102...ing-south-africa-miss-africa-cup-nations.html
A little more than a year after hosting a successful World Cup, South Africa woke up with a giant hangover after a failure to understand the rules saw them miss out on qualification for the Africa Cup of Nations.
Coach Pitso Mosimane admitted he had changed tactics and played for a draw in Saturday's final qualifier at home to Sierra Leone, thinking it was enough to win the group and qualify for the 2012 finals.
However, South Africa actually needed a win to avoid being eliminated on head-to-head results between the three teams tied at the top of the table, but no one appeared to have studied the regulations correctly.
Despite playing out the draw, they were pipped by outsiders Niger, who qualified for the first time.
More embarrassingly, the Bafana Bafana celebrated their supposed qualification at the end of the scoreless stalemate in Nelspruit (pictured), thinking they had done enough to advance to next year's finals co-hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.
A little more than a year after hosting a successful World Cup, South Africa woke up with a giant hangover after a failure to understand the rules saw them miss out on qualification for the Africa Cup of Nations.
Coach Pitso Mosimane admitted he had changed tactics and played for a draw in Saturday's final qualifier at home to Sierra Leone, thinking it was enough to win the group and qualify for the 2012 finals.
However, South Africa actually needed a win to avoid being eliminated on head-to-head results between the three teams tied at the top of the table, but no one appeared to have studied the regulations correctly.
Despite playing out the draw, they were pipped by outsiders Niger, who qualified for the first time.
More embarrassingly, the Bafana Bafana celebrated their supposed qualification at the end of the scoreless stalemate in Nelspruit (pictured), thinking they had done enough to advance to next year's finals co-hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.