No-frills Shakes demands action

EPHRAIM “Shakes” Mashaba displayed his authority the minute he walked into the news conference at Ombaka National Stadium yesterday.

“I don’t want a translator. You guys don’t compromise with your language,” the veteran coach said as he took his seat upon arrival at the venue for today’s 2018 Soccer World Cup qualifier against Angola (4.30pm SA time).

The Bafana Bafana coach will be expecting his players to exert that same authority when they face the Palancas Negras in a first-leg clash to be played at the 35,000-seater stadium.

“We have focused on the two phases of the game in our preparation, which is defending and attacking. We need to switch from defence to attack in a split second. We will also try to match them pound for pound in midfield. And going forward, I don’t think we will have much problems scoring.

“They are aware that if they concede a goal, then it will be difficult for them. So, we have to try to get an early goal. We are ready for the match,” Mashaba said. “It’s World Cup qualifiers. If you do not do it now, then you have to wait another four years.

Mashaba said Bafana’s recent visit to Angola in the African Nations Championship qualifiers had helped them settle in quickly.

“It gave us a chance to know what to expect. So now coming here we knew what to expect in terms of the weather. It gave us a chance to prepare.”

Mashaba is not paying too much attention to Angola’s record of 18 wins and nine draws in 28 World Cup qualifiers.

“We went through all those things. Yesterday, today and tomorrow won’t be the same … We are looking at how Angola are doing now. They are playing at home and we need to match them,” he said.

The heat will definitely play a role in how the players perform. “There’s nothing we can do. We can only worry about things we can control,” the coach said.

“If people have to collapse, then they should go collapse because if we hold back, then we are in trouble.”