SA coach Notoane makes rules blunder after Tokyo 2020 loss to France

South Africa’s Under-23 head coach David Notoane didn’t seem to be aware of the rules of the Tokyo 2020 men’s football competition, as he discussed their prospects of making the quarterfinals, following a heartbreaking 4-3 Group A defeat to France on Sunday.

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South Africa led three times in a pulsating second half, after a goalless opening period, but ended up on the losing team, leaving them with no points at the bottom of the group, with just a final match against Mexico on Wednesday to come.

South Africa can still make the last eight, if France lose to Japan on Wednesday, and if they beat Mexico by enough goals to overtake them on either goal difference or goals scored.

Currently, South Africa’s goal difference is -2 and Mexico’s is +1, following a 4-1 win over France and a 2-1 defeat to Japan.

Notoane, however, clearly thought in the post match press conference that the first eliminator in case of a tie on points, was head-to-head results, which it is not.

“If France lose and we win, on head to head we are out … so it was important to get a result (against France), even a draw. Unfortunately it is not to be and our chances are slim from a mathematical perspective,” said Notoane, incorrectly seeing head-to-head as the first elimination criteria.

Even if the decision on who goes through is decided by head-to-head, as points, goal difference and goals scored are dead level, South Africa would have a chance by beating Mexico, as a France loss to Japan would then leave France, Mexico and South Africa on three points. In a three-way head to head, Mexico would have beaten France, France would have beaten South Africa and South Africa, if they win on Wednesday, would have beaten Mexico.

There were echoes in Notoane’s comments of Pitso Mosimane’s Bafana Bafana in their qualification campaign for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations. Bafana settled for a goalless draw against Sierra Leone in Nelspruit, and danced away after the match, thinking they had qualified, but the rules said otherwise.