I just have to wax lyrical on Bafana efforts
Ihad promised myself that I would not be writing or talking about Bafana Bafana for at least the next two months, but just can’t help it – not after that admirable performance against Burkina Faso.
Before the match, I jokingly told the guys I was watching with … okay, yes, I was not at FNB Stadium but only because I was sparing my precious heart from the pain it would feel when they disappointed us. So being at a place where there was “medication” that would easily numb the pain was more preferable on the day. Where was I? Well, I was telling you that I jokingly said to the guys that maybe someone needs to go to each player and whisper that Fifa had nullified the match and it was now just a friendly just before kick-off because Bafana seem to do really well in such games.
Whether someone did or not, Bafana came out to win. It was one of those rare performances that give you hope. They make you see some light at the end of the tunnel. But as I was going on and on about the light at the end of the tunnel, a friend who was a little intoxicated said something that quickly turned my mood.
“Sometimes that light is like that on a train coming towards you.” With those words, he brought me back to earth with a huge thud. The reality is we may have survived one battle, but the war is far from over.
Sibongiseni Gumbi
That one win doesn’t mean we are suddenly a good team who can be world conquerors. But I wish he had let me enjoy the win in peace and not sobered me up like that – especially on a “Mampara weekend” where the Queen’s tears are not as free-flowing as one would like.
The win however proved one thing – that if we put our heart in it, we can win it. Look at how Bon- gani Zungu played. He had been suspected of not giving his best in the previous two matches and whatever Baxter said to him, he should do it more often.
The problem with our football is that we normally take two steps forward, only to take one back all the time. When we beat Nigeria so convincingly, only to come back and be shamed by a nonentity like Cape Verde, speaks of big underlying problems.
I have not been able to put my finger on what it is that we lack but I hope Baxter has. He is the man who gets paid big bucks for that anyway. Mine is to observe and report to you.
But I suspect our players do not take their careers as seriously as we would want them to. Baxter said something about reading them the riot act and preaching to them about professionalism and if that is what worked, he must keep doing it.
And let me move on from Bafana because I am not writing about them anyway. I am so glad to have lived in an era where we witness two former Bafana players coming up against each other as coaches in an important cup final as happens tonight at Moses Mabhida Stadium where Eric Tinkler and Benni McCarthy sit on opposite benches in the MTN8 final.
It is good stress to not know who to wish well. I like them both and I wish them both well and may the better man win.