EMBARRASSING
Bafana Bafana humiliated by gallant minnows
THE question was asked all week, again and again and again. “How much do you know about Mauritania?”
And the answers, well, let’s just say they weren’t convincing enough from Bafana Bafana’s technical team.
Bafana’s defeat here last night means their hopes of qualifying for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) are in tatters. It will take a miracle for them to book their tickets to Gabon, after their goalless draw to The Gambia at home was followed by a dispiriting loss to the minnows of Mauritania in what was the worst game played so far under coach Shakes Mashaba.
Bafana knew very little about their opponents, except for the fact that they held Cameroon for 89 minutes before conceding an odd goal in June.
In a world where technology is constantly improving, Mashaba and his men should have walked onto the pitch knowing exactly who they were going to face.
It seems they also did not know they would play on an artificial pitch, or else they would have trained on one at the Nike Centre in Pimville, Soweto, before flying out of Johannesburg on Thursday.
On match day yesterday, Mashaba’s 10-man Bafana lost to Mauritania in this Afcon qualifier and now cannot afford further slip-ups after a draw and a loss already in Group M.
A schoolboy error by No 1 goalkeeper and captain Itumeleng Khune gave Mauritania 1-0 lead at half time, and this was followed by the red card to debutant left-back Siyabonga Zulu.
Bafana not only lost, but they rudely found out what this Mauritania team is capable of. They are big, win almost everything in the air and they’ve got some very entertaining players.
It took five minutes for the hosts to open the scoring, thanks to the Khune error, IN TATTERS: Bafana Bafana coach Shakes Mashaba and his technical team during the Afcon 2017 qualifying match against The Gambia at Moses Mabhida Stadium in June when the side were held to a goalless draw. Last night South Africa lost 3-1 away to Mauritania when he spilt an innocuous Aly Abeid free kick into his net.
Bafana were rattled after that early blow and could hardly string passes together.
At times they played long balls for striker Thamsanqa Gabuza but Mauritania’s big defender Abdoul Ba cleared everything that came in the home side’s direction. Bafana did not even test Mauritanian goalkeeper Salahdin Boubacar in the first half.
Mashaba started Zulu after Kaizer Chiefs’ Tsepo Masilela withdrew from the squad with an injury, although he did not report for camp to be assessed by the medical team.
Zulu had a shaky start and struggled to deal with the pace and trickery of Ismael Diakite. His debut went from bad to worse when he was sent off early in the second half for a late challenge when he was the last man in defence.
Bafana’s problems were not only in defence.
In midfield, Dean Furman and Andile Jali failed to stamp their authority while Thulani Serero and Mandla Masango were ineffective. Controlling the ball on the artificial pitch was a problem for the visitors.
Mashaba was frustrated in the first half and it got worse five minutes into the second period. Just as he was about to bring on Sibusiso Vilakazi to put some pressure on the hosts’ defence, Zulu was sent off for his challenge on Diakite, who was clear on goal.
Vilakazi was told to sit down and Mzikayise Mashaba came on instead, with striker Tokelo Rantie being sacrificed. Rantie had one of his worst games for Bafana.
Bafana enjoyed better possession in the second half but did not threaten the opposition much.
Midfielder Bongani Zungu was brought in just after the hour mark and he had a good chance to equalise three minutes after coming on, but ballooned the ball over the crossbar with just the goalkeeper to beat as the South Africans’ frustrations grew.
Despite their many problems on the pitch, Bafana bounced back and there was a glimmer of hope when Gabuza brought parity to proceedings.
The day before match day, locals here asked where Benni McCarthy was. But why ask for McCarthy when Gabuza is around?
The Orlando Pirates man equalised midway through the second half after defender Anele Ngcongca played in a good cross from the right flank.
But Mauritania did not sit back to play for a point. They had the support and they went forward in search of a winner and they got it 12 minutes from time when Ahmed Khalil beat Khune at the near post to send the crowd into raptures. Khalil hammered the final nail in the coffin in the 86th minute to put the matter beyond doubt.
Cameroon are away to The Gambia in the other Group M match today.