Beware the threat of Mali, Bafana

Group E South Africa v Mali, Tuesday, 10.00

Ronwen Williams will come up against one of the free-scoring nations who paved their way to Ivory Coast on a wave of 15 goals.

The Bafana Bafana gloveman will need all his wits about him to fend off the West Africans.

Mali may be missing several of their trusted soldiers but the two-times bronze medallists at the 2012 and 2013 events still have a knack for goals and in the mood to do better than the double last 16 elimination of 2017 and 2019.

For a team teeming with players plying their trade across Europe, thanks to their prolific production of talent that populates the French, English and Spanish leagues, Mali have punched below their might and the expectation is that this could be the stage for the dark horses to set the record straight.

While they have an appetite for goals — two 4-0 victories over Congo and South Sudan, 3-1 and 2-0 wins over the same opposition over two legs in the qualifiers, plus a 2-0 defeat of Gambia — Mali are stingy at the back, only conceding two en route to topping the qualifying group.

The Eagles lost once to Gambia on the road to Ivory Coast, and the embarrassment of being booted out by Equatorial Guinea in the last 16 in 2021 still stings.

From the lofty heights of being champions in 1996, Bafana have gone from gold to silver to bronze in a 24-year free fall punctuated by failure to qualify, peppered with early eliminations.

Any laxness on the part of Bafana will see the pattern continue. That they have not a single player in a top league around the world is testament to how far the South African national team have fallen behind.

Coach Hugo Broos has built a team laden with Mamelodi Sundowns players, who often form the backbone of the starting XI whenever Bafana lines up. They have been exposed to continental football assignments in hostile cauldrons. Hopefully, their presence will prevent the team from being overawed by the sense of occasion.

A similar picture will play out on Tuesday night as Broos leads Bafana to an 11th appearance at Africa’s premier competition.

Goal-scoring duties will have to be shared among a group lacking a recognisable striker. Hope springs eternal, “Bafana ba Broos”.

Haffejee/Getty Images Ihsaan Bafana’s goalkeeper Ronwen Williams celebrates his team’s goal during the Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match between South Africa and Morocco at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg.