FANTASTIC DRAW, SAYS LEADING SOUTH AFRICAN COACH.

Spain, Paraguay and Slovenia beware! The most successful national coach of South Africa says his country are going to upset the odds and qualify from Group B of the World Cup. "A fantastic draw," said Clive Barker, the pint-size super-optimist who guided Bafana Bafana (The Boys) to the 1996 African Nations Cup title and the World Cup finals two years later. The sharp knives that are seldom far below the surface in African football came out before South Africa travelled to France and Barker watched from home while the team lost to the hosts and drew with Denmark and Saudi Arabia. Barker, who coaches Manning Rangers in the Indian Ocean city of Durban, reacted to the draw in South Korea Saturday by predicting South Africa would reach the knockout stages at the second attempt. Trott Moloto, assistant to French coach Philippe Troussier at the 1998 finals, believes South Africa will accompany Spain into the last 16 of the quadrennial global football showpiece. "It is a fair draw. We could have drawn easier opponents, but we could also have drawn much tougher ones. I'm glad we avoided Argentina and France, who are the best national teams." Neil Tovey, ...