It’s Benni McCarthy versus Collins Mbesuma!

Or is it?

Well, it’s actually South Africa’s Bafana Bafana coming up against Zambia’s Chipolopolo in a Group 11 2008 Ghana Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at Newlands Stadium in Cape Town on Sunday.

The two players stand out due to their proven goal-scoring exploits, which is what puts them in the spotlight ahead of the encounter that kicks off at 3pm .

The game promises to be a sizzler all the way with a win for Bafana Bafana taking them to an enviable 14 points while Zambia are in a must-win situation as anything less than that will rule them out of the biennial African showpiece.

In an interview with a local soccer magazine on their arrival here, Mbesuma and his coach Patrick Phiri acknowledged that they have a “huge task, but beating South Africa is not debatable but a must”.

What is debatable, though, is whether South Africans or coach Carlos Alberto Parreira should be worried about the loss of McCarthy’s “special” boots along with his luggage at the airport or believe the Blackburn Rovers striker when he said “I’ll have to make do without them”.

The Scorpions should have been placed on high alert and a national man-hunt launched for whoever could have stolen that “precious item”.

But, if Bafana’s last game against Scotland is anything to go by, with players like captain Aaron Mokoena, Nasief Morris, Cyril Nzama and Bradley Carnell manning the defence with Bevan Fransman and the inimitable Khetho Sibaya as destroyers, one can safely predict that Chipolopolo will face a brick wall.

With the exception of the injured Arminia Bielefeld striker, Sibusiso Zuma, coach Parreira is certainly spoilt for choice with Surprise Moriri, Benedict Vilakazi, Steven Pienaar and Teko Modise all ready for the task of supplying any of McCarthy, Nomvethe or Thembinkosi Fanteni or even scoring goals themselves.

What Bafana should guard against, though, is that while Mbesuma’s exploits when he was still with Kaizer Chiefs are well-documented, Zambia’s danger man is none other than former Jomo Cosmos and the PSL’s 2006-07 season top goal scorer with 15 goals in 15 games, Christopher “Tsunami” Katongo, who now plies his trade with Brondby FI in Denmark.

The bulk of Chipolopolo players are an open book to the locals. They include Isaac Chansa, Clive Hachilensa, Jacob Mulenga and Songwe Chalwe who on their day could cause untold problems for the home side.

Bafana beat Chipolopolo 1-0 away in the first round.

On a sad note, both countries are mourning the death of prominent national team players in Gift Leremi of South Africa, who died in a car accident on Monday, and Chaswe Nsofwa of Zambia, who collapsed at training with his Israeli team Hapoel Beersheva and was pronounced dead at hospital last week Wednesday.