South Africa launched what appeared a futile appeal to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as they attempted to find a way into the finals of the 2012 African Cup of Nations.
Bafana Bafana thought their goalless draw with Sierra Leone on Saturday was enough to secure a place in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea next year and even indulged in a post-match lap of honour.
The South Africa management thought the group was decided on goal difference only to discover Niger had qualified by virtue of a better head-to-head record between the three teams who finished on nine points: Niger, South Africa and Sierra Leone.
