Hosting Afcon 2019 bittersweet for Baxter
Bafana wanted to play Libya in bid to qualify
Hosting next year’s Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) could be a huge boost to the continued development of an emerging generation of Bafana Bafana players‚ national coach Stuart Baxter has said. Baxter added that it would be a bittersweet opportunity as he and Bafana had wanted to prove they could qualify by going to Libya for the draw they needed from their final Group E game in March‚ which could also have been an important match in the development of players.
Baxter said he had not had communication from SA Football Association (Safa) – who are surely also awaiting confirmation from Confederation of African Football – on whether the Libya game would go ahead if SA became hosts.
“You don’t want to sort of turn off the competitive nature of the Libya game because someone’s suddenly gives you a free pass‚” he said.
“So for me‚ I would say it [hosting] would be great because our strategy was that the players need to take part in a major tournament as part of their development.
But I also don’t want to turn off the competitive nature of the players to go there [to play Libya away‚ probably in Tunisia] in a situation with a knife at their throats and actually get the result that they need.
“So‚ if I’m being really honest‚ I’ve tried to ignore it [the potential hosting]. For that reason
I want to keep preparing for this game as if it’s the one that’s going to take us there.”
Baxter said qualifying as hosts “can be an anti-climax”. He said Bafana also still have the concerning tendency of blowing matches that they should be winning.
“And therefore the Libya game was yet another challenge mentally. And that’s why it is important for us.”
The coach‚ however‚ said he is completely aware of how big a prospect playing in a home Afcon can be for emerging Bafana talents such as Percy Tau‚ Lebo Mothiba and Teboho Mokoena. “We have seen some progress and some green shoots coming through‚” the coach said.
Coach Stuart Baxter awaits communication from Safa on potentially hosting the continental showpiece.