South African have declared they're serious about protesting against their African Nations Cup football elimination as the fallout from a botched weekend qualifying game gathers momentum.
South Africa lost out in a three-way tie in their qualifying group with unheralded Niger taking top spot because of a better head-to-head record when Bafana Bafana thought that goal difference was the deciding factor.
They are pressing ahead with their legal bid to try to overturn their failure to qualify for next year's finals, although critics have accused them of putting forward a flimsy argument to cover up their embarrassment.
The South African Football Association chief executive officer Robin Petersen says goal difference is a fairer option than head-to-heads and that there is past precedent to overturn the standings, even though the rules had been set out by CAF some time before the qualifiers even started.
Coach Pitso Mosimane informed officials he had read the rules before Sunday's last qualifying game against Sierra Leone in Nelspruit but misinterpreted them.
