Bafana have the resolve to bounce back
Just as I had predicted in last week’s column of the Football Digest, swords were once again out for Bafana Bafana following the false start in their opening game of the Africa Cup of Nations against Mali.
The 2-0 defeat on Tuesday cut deep, especially after South Africa dominated the opening 45 minutes and missed a crucial penalty that would have changed the whole complexion of the game
The loss was made even more painful by the sheer volume of anti-Bafana critics who were out in full force to twist the dagger in even further on those that believe in the team.
The banter about needing calculators to determine how many points the ‘96 champions will need to qualify for next round were already floating around.
Here is what I think – not all is lost and there is still a lot to play for in Group E. If Bafana bags maximum points in a must-win game against Namibia tomorrow and Tunisia next week Wednesday, they can still reach the last16 round of Africa’s continental showpiece.
Do I think they are capable of bouncing back? Yes, absolutely. These players have been here before.
En route to qualifying for the Nations Cup, daggers were also drawn following the 2-2 draw against Liberia at Orlando Stadium but against all odds they overcame the storm to beat the Lone Stars away from home in Monrovia to book their spot at Afcon.
According to naysayers, it was a game that was meant to break them and prove how useless they were but against all expectations, they showed resolve.
As if that wasn’t good enough, Bafana also got revenge for their opening defeat of the Afcon qualifiers against Morocco. The Atlas Lions were brought down to earth by Hugo Broos and his charges as they registered an impressive 2-1 win against the 2022 Fifa World Cup semifinalists.
What this current group has proven is that on their day, they are capable of going toe-to-toe with any team on the continent and they respond well when they are caught in a storm of adversity and have their backs against the wall.
It’s also not uncommon for a team to lose their opening game of the tournament but end up winning it. Spain did it in 2010, they clinched the World Cup after a false start against Switzerland.
Argentina also recovered from their shock opening defeat to Saudi Arabia to lift the World Cup trophy two years ago.
Broos has some big calls to make ahead of the clash against neighbours Namibia tomorrow if Bafana are to silence their detractors.
South Africa needs a better central pairing in defence, especially against the speedy and hard-running Peter Shalulile. Mothobi Mvala and Grant Kekana are much better suited for the big stage.
With that said, I’m still wearing my Bafana jersey with pride and backing the team to bounce back from their disappointing loss.
It must said that the Brave Warriors won’t be a walk in the park after they produced a stunning 1-0 upset against Tunisia to register their first Afcon win, but as in the past, they are beatable.